


Soldier's Pet

by LilliannaAnsalla



Series: Bucky Barnes is a Dad [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Endgame didn't happen, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra (Marvel), I'm Bad At Tagging, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:48:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 70,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24325297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilliannaAnsalla/pseuds/LilliannaAnsalla
Summary: One missionOne nightOne surprise.One moment changed the Winter Soldier's life forever. One little girl who couldn't speak. One little girl who became his very reason for living. One little girl who saved him and who would always wait for him to come home.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Bucky Barnes is a Dad [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756153
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! First off, thanks for clicking on this little ditty of mine! I appreciate it a lot! Second, it hasn't been beta-ed yet, other than by me, so please let me know about any errors that need to be fixed. Third, this is a Father/Daughter relationship story. If you came here looking for lovely-dovey stuff, just the normal Dad status for our dear Bucky Barnes. Sorry, gang. Not this story! Maybe another, but not this one! Fourth, I used Google translate, so I apologize if anything isn't right!! The actual meanings will be at the end of the paragraphs the speech is in. I just find it easier that way. And without further ado (or I start rambling) here's my Winter Soldier story, "The Soldier's Pet"

“Soldier, we have a mission for you,” the man said, holding out a folder to him. Without any emotion, he grabbed the folder and looked inside. There was a picture of a man and a woman, though it wasn’t very clear. It had obviously been taken without their knowledge. “You are to keep them safe. They have valuable knowledge that needs to be protected. You leave in an hour.” With a nod, the Winter Soldier stood and walked quietly out, going to get his gear.

\------------------------------------------------------

The cabin was small, not optimal for protection, but it would do. He wasn’t here to protect the couple indefinitely, just until extraction forces could get through. The snow storm raging outside wasn’t not helpful either, as it kept him from seeing outside threats. However, it also might dissuade said outside threats a bit longer. The Winter Soldier stalked the perimeter of the house, making sure the windows and doors leading outside were locked and secured. Three days, that was how long he had to protect them. Just three more days in this God-forsaken place. The couple had hardly said two words to him, choosing instead to watch him work with wide, scared eyes. A camping lantern provided the only light inside the house, and it was pitch black outside from the nighttime blizzard. Finally, satisfied with his work, he sat down on the bench against one wall, watching the two with blank eyes. They looked back down at their board game, Scrabble, he thought he had read on the box, and continued to play silently. When the clock on the wall showed eleven o’clock, they got up and shuffled off to bed, leaving the game where they had left it. The lantern was still on, but they went out into the rest of the cabin in the dark, leaving him with the only light. A useless gesture. He didn’t need light; the darkness was afraid of him, not the other way around. Everything was afraid of him; it was his job, his mission, to be the cause of terror and fear. He stared at the doorway they had left through in silence, eyes glazed over in thought, but ears listening to the slightest sounds in and around the cabin. Just three more days. Three more days, and he could leave. Just three more days.

\----------------------------------------------------------

They would be here in twelve hours. He could last that long. The extraction team would be here in twelve hours, and he could be rid of these annoying people who wouldn’t say a word to him, only play their little game and watch him fearfully. His contact had said to be ready for a fight. Other people that wanted his missions were on their way, and they weren’t going to ask nicely. If they thought he was simply going to hand them over, they were wrong. He would not fail, could not fail. The silence in the room was tangible. The two were scared, barely focusing on their game. Let them be scared; what concern of it was his? He’d be rid of them soon enough. A soft sound outside the cabin caught his ears, and he stood up, listening. “Lozhis', i byt' spokoynym,” he said harshly, and the two obeyed, getting down on the floor without a sound. With a crash, the door to the cabin burst open, letting the frigid air from outside into the cabin. Gunshots filled the air, and the fight was on. (Lie down, and be quiet.)

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Grunting slightly, the Winter Soldier leaned against the wall, pulling himself up onto the bench he had been inhabiting for the past three days. Twelve men, all armed with guns, had burst in, guns blazing. The man and woman were dead, but so were the twelve men. He had failed his mission, but in a way, succeeded. He’d managed to find the couple’s journal, with the pages full of notes on experiments and theories. Surely that must be worth something to his superiors? Cursing under his breath, he looked at the wound on his leg with distaste. He could hear their words now. “The Winter Soldier doesn’t get shot, nor does he fail his missions.” It wasn’t going to go well, no matter what he had found. His mission was to keep the man and woman alive, and they were dead. That was that. 

His eyes shot over to the doorway towards the rest of the cabin. He had heard something moving back there. With a grunt, he stood to his feet and limped over to the doorway, steadying himself against the wall when black dots began to dance across his vision. This was not going according to plan at all. Limping down the short hallway and using the wall as a crutch, he checked inside every one of the rooms, looking for whatever had made the sound. He found nothing. Thinking it had been something hitting the outside the cabin, such as a stick, he went back to the front room and collapsed onto the bench again. His pants leg was soaked in blood now. The bullet must have hit an artery. As he leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling, he heard another sound, this time much closer. So fast that he nearly gave himself whiplash, he snapped his head back up and met the cautious gaze of a small child. She couldn’t have been more than six, but she was tiny. She was gazing at him with childish curiosity from the doorway. On silent feet, she stepped closer to him, and he noticed that she was dragging a sheet behind her. He watched her come right up to him, looking at him with big, innocent, bright green eyes. Sitting down on the floor in front of him, she took the sheet in both of her hands and began to rip it into strips. 

After she had torn one off, she handed it up to him silently, waiting for him to take it. He took it in his hands and looked at her in silent confusion. She gave him an exasperated look, if a six year-old could be exasperated, and motioned to his injured leg. Oh. That’s what she was doing. She handed him another strip and waited from him to finish tying his leg up. Then, she took another strip she had torn and stood up, pointing to his right arm. Looking down, he noticed that he was bleeding from his upper arm. Watching her carefully, he turned his arm towards her and let her tie his arm up. Then, she sat back down on the floor, wrapped up in the torn blanket and looked back at him. Her face was eerily blank, like she was used to people showing up out of nowhere and shooting. The two stared at each other for long enough that the Winter Soldier started to get uncomfortable, which was a feat in and of itself. She gave him a small smile and stood up, heading back down the hallway on quiet little feet. He started to get up to follow her, but she looked back at him from the doorway, shaking her little head and making her light brown hair fly around her face. She returned not five minutes later with two paper plates in her hands. 

She handed him one and sat back down on the floor. He regarded the food on the plate with caution. She could be trying to poison him for letting what were obviously her caretakers get killed, or his superiors had found out that he had failed and sent this little girl to kill him by poisoning him. He looked down at her as she took a bite out of the sandwich in her hands, along with a bit of the crackers she had. She looked up at him, and then at his untouched food. A light seemed to click on in her head, and she scrambled to her feet, putting her plate next to him on the bench. With tiny hands, she tore off a piece of his sandwich and ate it, doing the same with the small collection of crackers she had put on his plate. Satisfied that she had proven her point, she sat back down and resumed eating her own meal. He bit into his own food and watched her eat in silence. Why didn’t she talk? Was she mute? Why hadn’t she tried to sign to him if she was? Who was she? Questions bounced around in his head about this small and surprisingly calm child. He watched as she placed her now-empty plate in the trash can next to the bench and curled up in the torn sheet, using his foot as a pillow. He watched as she went to sleep almost immediately, raising an eyebrow as the only sign of his confusion. Otherwise, his face remained as stoic as before. The radio on his hip crackled to life, and he placed it closer to his ear, listening to the new instructions. There was another team coming, looking for the first, no doubt. Take his charges and head to the meeting place. “Oni mertvy.” (They are dead.)

“Unfortunate, but not unexpected. I take it they came in with open fire?”

“Da.” (Yes.)

“I see. Head to the rendezvous point now.”

“Sushchestvuyet devushka.” (There is a girl.)

“Bring her, then.” With that, the radio went silent, and the Soldier stood to his feet, waking the girl in the process.

“Vstavay,” he barked at her. (Get up.) She regarded him with sleepy eyes. “Vy ponimayete Rossii?” (Do you understand Russian?) The girl looked at him blankly. “Do you understand me?” he tried in English. Still, she merely looked at him silently. “Glukhoy i nemoy. Zamechatel'no,” he muttered grumpily. (Deaf and mute. Wonderful.) Reaching down to where she lay on the ground, he picked her up and tucked her up in the sheet, wrapping a coat around her as well. Holding her to his side, he stepped towards the still-open door. She buried her little face in his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. Looking around outside, he stepped into the blizzard, hissing against the cold. She burrowed into him even more but didn’t make a sound. Satisfied that there were no immediate threats, he set off through the snow, trudging along quietly. The rendezvous point was two miles into the woods, and at his current speed, it would probably take about an hour to get there, loaded down with the girl and his injuries. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire broke the silence of the area. Holding out his metal hand, he blocked some of the bullets, felt the girl tightened her grip on his neck, and pulled out his own gun. Firing at the attackers, the Winter Soldier doubled his pace, ignoring the pain in his leg and arm. He saw a familiar truck waiting ahead of him, and he limped towards it. Large hands reached towards the girl, but she whimpered and pressed closer to him, if that was even possible when she was already clinging to him as if her life depended on it. On second thought, it probably did.

“What’s taking so long?” a rough voice asked from inside the truck.

“It’s a child. It won’t let go of him,” the man next to him answered.

“Aw, let him keep it. It’ll make a cute pet.” Something flared up in the Winter Soldier’s chest, and he wrapped his right arm around the girl’s tiny form, shivering from the cold and fear. Stepping up into the warm interior of the truck, he sat down, letting her swing her little legs across his lap and bury her face in his chest while medical teams looked at his injuries that were healing except for the bullets still lodged in him. They pulled them out with only a slight grimace on his part and put clean bandages on his wounds that would most likely be healed in less than an hour. With a jolt, the truck began to move. Amid the joking and sneering of the other guards, he felt the girl gradually start to relax against him, eventually letting herself sit calmly in his lap. She pulled his arm tighter around herself and went to sleep, using him as both a blanket and a pillow. Neither of them moved or made a sound for the rest of the trip back to the Hydra base.


	2. Chapter 2

“It’s a breach in protocol!”

“What harm can a tiny child do? Besides, we can use this.”

“How do you propose we do that?”

“He obviously feels protective of the girl, if the captain’s statements are to be believed. Threaten her to get him to do more missions. Say that we’ll torture her like we did to him if he doesn’t complete his mission quickly or some such thing. And while he’s away, we’ll train her to become the next Winter Soldier, should anything happen to him. Of course, we’ll clean her up and make her presentable when he’s on his way back, and he’ll never be the wiser. The girl can’t speak, nor can she hear, so she won’t be able to tell him what’s going on. It’s the perfect plan!”

“Hm, yes, I see your point. Perhaps it will work to our advantage. I will run it by the director. If he approves, the Soldier can keep the girl. If not, shoot her. In front of him. Show him what happens when he forms attachments.”

“Yes, general.”

\----------------------------------------------------------

“She will remain here,” his handler said to him sharply. “If, for any reason, you slip up, she will suffer the repercussions. She is your responsibility, Soldier. Anything that happens to her is on you head.” The Soldier nodded shortly and quietly watched the man leave his room with the sharp clicking of his boots on the floor. The door closed with a clang, and he was left alone with the girl in his room. She sat rigidly on his cot, staring at the floor blankly.

“Teper' vy v bezopasnosti,” he said to her. (You’re safe now.) She glanced up at him, but he didn’t know if she could understand him, or just couldn’t hear him. “Ty mozhesh' slyshat'?” he asked, pointing to his ear. (Can you hear?) She tilted her head at him in confusion. The Soldier sighed. It was going to be a long day. He sat quietly on a stool and took out his multiple guns and knives that were still in their holsters and harnesses on his body. Placing them on the table, he began to clean them. The soldiers would come for them soon, and they expected them to be clean. He had never really cared about how well he did them, enough to get the job done, but now he was very meticulous about it. He had something to protect, a mission. Keep the girl safe. She was looking at him with curious eyes and got up, padding over on bare feet and peeking up over the table. Looking around, she found another clean rag and brought it back over. She found a small box and dragged it over, standing on it to see better. He regarded her with a silent gaze and watched as she picked up a piece of one of the other guns and began to clean it expertly. He raised an eyebrow. A girl this young knew how to clean weapons? She was an enigma.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Two weeks had passed. In that time, the girl had managed to worm her way into a tiny corner of his heart. He hadn’t been wiped recently, so he had no trouble remembering that this was a girl he was to care for and protect. He hadn’t really given her a name, just a nickname. “Kotenok,” he said, making her look up at him. (Kitten.) He had discovered (and not shared the information) that she could hear perfectly well, she just didn’t understand Russian, English, or any of the other languages he had tried. Either she had never been taught, or no one cared. She gave him a small smile of acknowledgement. “Postel'.” (Bed.) He pointed at the cot, and she put down her drawing and climbed up onto the cot, burrowing under the covers. He was teaching her Russian one word at a time. So far, she was doing rather well. She never said them back, so he figured that she really couldn’t speak, but she was beginning to grasp what each word was. She could identify each of the items in the room, and she recognized when he called her. Over all, though, neither of them spoke a lot. He was trained to be silent, and she was naturally quiet. There weren’t uncomfortable silences between them, just calm ones. He sat where he was for about ten minutes after she was in bed, and he registered the exact moment that her breathing changed. She was asleep. He got up and walked down the hall to the room they had told him to go to. He had another mission, and his handlers did not want the girl to get any important information. She was “deaf and dumb,” not blind. Once they had given him his mission, he went back to his room and packed up his gear silently. The girl heard him though. She got up and padded over to pull at his pants leg, question on her face. “Missiya. Vesti sebya,” he said. (Mission. Behave.) She nodded in understanding and went back to bed, standing up on it to be more at his height. She motioned him over, and he went to stand over her, looking down. Holding out her arms, he picked her up. She hugged his neck tightly before pulling back to kiss his cheek. He put her down and looked at her wide, confused eyes. She waved at him, then crawled back under the blankets, going to sleep relatively quickly. He left the room, flicking off the bight overhead light, but leaving the tiny lamp in the room on, closing the door quietly and heading off for his mission.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

So life continued for the Winter Soldier and what Hydra was calling the Soldier’s Pet for many years. They would stay together in between missions, and when he left, Hydra agents trained her and taught her over twenty-five different languages, making sure she could write them and translate things. They still didn’t know that she could hear them. She was put through brutal training while the Winter Soldier was gone, often ending up bruised and bloody. She was fed only enough to keep her looking a bit healthy and forced to take ice cold showers. However, every two days before the Soldier came back, she was pampered enough to make a princess jealous. She was allowed long, hot showers, full meals, and put in a lavish room with a plush bed. Her wounds were allowed to heal, and any that weren’t were disregarded as accidents such as tripping or running into something while she was playing. She still didn’t have a name outside of his nickname for her, but the other Hydra agents just called her “pet.” He was only put in cryo a few times during these years, but he was wiped several times. 

The two of them always had a code for when he was wiped. If he came back from a mission, once they were alone he was to call her by her nickname. After all, he would know that. If he didn’t call her that, she would know that they were to start all over again. By the fourth or fifth time, she understood Russian perfectly, but she wouldn’t let him in on that until she was certain that he remembered that he was supposed to protect her. Then, they would go back into their rhythm. By the time she was ten (she knew what her age was), it was down to an actual science between them. He was put in cryo around the time that she was nine and a half. They wiped him, with her watching this time, and put him on ice. Some of her worst training was when he was frozen. After all, they didn’t have to worry about the Winter Soldier finding out then. She could hold her own pretty well by now, even though she was still incredibly small for her age. She still barely came up to any one of the agents’ waist. He remained in cryo-freeze for six months before they thawed him out again, but they didn’t have time to slip into a rhythm then. He was taken out, evaluated, and briefed on his mission, then shipped out before the two could come into contact with one another. 

She knew he was out, but she hadn’t seen him. She was sitting in their shared room silently, when the door opened and a gruff guard that liked to manhandle her walked in. He barked something at her so quickly she didn’t catch it and was yanked to her feet. The guard dragged her roughly through the building and stuffed unceremoniously into the back of a black SUV. Barely having enough time to make sure that she was secured under her seatbelt, the driver drove out and into the city. She hadn’t seen it before and stared out the window with wide eyes at the passing scenery and buildings. The car parked, and she was dragged out roughly again. At a brisk march, she was brought into an old building that probably used to be a bank, but she couldn’t make out what the sign on the building said before being herded inside. She was brought into the bank’s safe, where the Hydra has set up shop temporarily. Inside, an all-too-familiar chair stood, hooked up to various wires and machines as the Winter Soldier sat quietly, letting the technicians look over his metal arm. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and he looked exhausted, shaken, and pale. She gave him a concerned look, but didn’t move. 

The guard who had initially brought her shoved her harshly towards the Soldier, making her lose her balance and trip, dashing her knees against the floor and cringing in pain. The Soldier tensed and looked at the guard menacingly. Shoving the technician aside, he went over and picked her up, holding her to him. He mumbled quietly to her in Russian, his mouth barely moving, but his chest vibrating with the words. She laid her head on his shoulder and let the movement soothe her pain. He glared at the soldier who had pushed her but returned quietly to the chair, holding her in his lap as the technicians nervously began working on repairing his arm again. Using his other hand, the Soldier gently rubbed her knees, which would surely be bruised later on. He was still mumbling comforting words in Russian under his breath, but she heard her nickname in there several times, so he knew who she was. She looked at the wall through the curtain of her hair and his, but she squeezed his arm ever-so-slightly to let him know that she was okay. Tension still kept his body rigid, but he wasn’t worried about her anymore. Footsteps sounded through the hallway outside, and the Soldier sat up a bit straighter when Alexander Pierce, head of Hydra, walked into the room. She didn’t like him. He was always touching her and saying cutting things to her. Of course, the Soldier didn’t know, or Pierce would probably be dead by now, but that was just how her life was in Hydra. She suffered in silence, as did the Winter Soldier. Pierce gave a sickening smirk at the two’s position, but he told the Soldier to put her down. Obeying the order, he gently placed her next to him so she stood on his right, so close their arms were touching. “Sir,” one of the men said to Pierce, “he’s—he’s unstable. Erratic. Only the pet is keeping him calm.” Pierce nodded and went up closer to the Soldier. He gave a wicked smirk to her before turning his attention back to the man in the chair, who was looking blankly forward.

“Mission report,” Pierce said. The Soldier didn’t respond. “Mission report, now.” Still nothing. Pierce raised his arm and hit him hard in the face, knocking over against the arm of the chair. She took his human arm and helped him sit up again, glaring fiercely at Pierce, who ignored her. 

“The man on the bridge,” the Soldier said quietly. “Who was he?”

“You met him earlier this week on another assignment,” Pierce said.

“I knew him.” Pierce pulled a chair over and sat down in front of him, so close that their knees were almost touching.

“Your work has been a gift to mankind. You shaped this century, and I need you to do it one more time. Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos. Tomorrow morning we’re gonna give it a push. But if you don’t do your part, I can’t do mine, and Hydra can’t give the world the freedom it deserves.” The Soldier looked a Pierce in mild confusion.

“But I knew him.” Piercer stood and turned to the technicians.

“Prep him,” Pierce said coldly. She tensed and took the Soldier’s hand, squeezing tightly.

“He’s been out of cryo-freeze too long.”

“Then wipe him and start over.” The Solder gave her one long, sad, longing glance, and she felt tears rise up into her eyes to mirror his own glistening ones as a mouth guard was placed in his mouth and he was pushed back against the chair, strapped down. One of the guards came over and began to drag her away from him, but Pierce snapped at him. “No, let her stay. She should see what happens when she doesn’t obey. She could do with a reminder.” The guard released her, and she hurried back to take his hand again. He resisted for only a moment before giving in to the gesture. The machine whirred loudly as a device lowered over his head, and the Soldier’s pained screams made tears well up in and drip down her face, her eyes watching as the chair destroyed the memories of the man before her. Pierce walked out, leaving her at the mercy of the guards once again, but he left specific orders regarding her this time. She barely heard it over the Soldier’s screams, but she did. “When he is done, tell him he has two missions: Insight, and the girl. I want to see what will happen.” The machine whirred to a stop and lifted away from him. The Soldier stared blankly at the ceiling, panting, sweating, and dazed. A guard harshly shook her, making her look at him. He pointed to her, then to the Soldier, then back to her. He said loudly, as if that would make her hear him.

“You watch him.” She merely looked at him blankly. She still had a firm grip on the Soldier’s hand, and tears were still dripping down her face. The Soldier grunted and sat up, nearly falling out of the chair. Moving quickly, she gripped his flesh arm and steadied him, giving him a small smile when he looked at her sharply, eyes full of distrust. She rubbed her tear-stained cheeks and motioned for him to stand. Giving wary looks to the guards in the room, he follow her wishes and stood, towering over her as he always did.

“Soldier,” one of the technicians said, coming over to him and handing him a file. “This is one of your new missions.  _ She _ is your other. You are to keep her safe from harm. She is deaf and dumb, so do not expect much.” The Soldier regarded her with new interest now before nodding. “You leave for the mission tomorrow at dawn.” The rough guard stepped forward.

“This way,” he said gruffly, turning and walking out the door. The Soldier looked down at her, and she looked back up at him, before he bent down and picked her up, carrying her as he followed the guard. The two were placed in a room that held even less than the room she had left earlier that day had. When the two of them were alone again, he watched her warily from the single chair in the room while she sat rigidly at the foot of the bed. Neither said anything, but she was quickly getting bored.

“Vy dolzhny spat',” he said curtly. (You need to sleep.) She merely looked at him. He pointed at her, then the bed. She looked at him, then at the bed, and nodded. She scooted back to where the pillow was and crawled under the covers, barely making much of a lump. After settling down for several minutes, but being unable to sleep, she sat up with a huff. The Soldier looked at her blankly, only raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Pulling the threadbare blanket off of the cot, she walked over to the Soldier and climbed up into his lap. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing in contentment. The Soldier was stiff, not moving a muscle other than his chest as he breathed. She could hear his heart beating loudly in his chest, and she laid a hand gently over the where it was located. She began tapping out something on it, giving him a message. When she was done, he gave her a tense nod and settled back against the back of the chair, allowing them both to be more comfortable. Satisfied and content with her new position, she slipped off to sleep, only waking when the Soldier moved her to the cot before he left for his mission. He laid her down gently, trying not to wake her, and made sure the blanket covered her small form. Once he was satisfied with her position, he looked her over. As she started to drift off again, she felt a light pressure on the top of her head. “YA vernus' k vam, kotenok.” With that, he walked out of the room on his silent feet, and she returned to dreamland with a small smile on her face. (I will come back to you, kitten.)


	3. Chapter 3

A guard burst into the room, the door banging so hard against the wall that the whole room shook. She woke up with a start and looked at him with wide eyes. “Let’s go, brat!” he snapped, grabbing her arm harshly and yanking her out of the room. Alarms were going off, and lights were flashing. What was going on? Had something happened on the Soldier’s mission? Was he alright? Questions flew through her head so fast, she couldn’t even process them enough to worry about them. She was dragged down the maze of hallways and shoved into the back of a black van. “Get on the floor!” the guard barked, shoving her down into the bottom compartment and holding her there. He and five other men climbed in around her, slamming the doors as the van took off. She was shaking slightly and fighting to keep tears from flowing. She was cramped in the tiny floor space and tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but one of the guards kicked her in the back with his steel-toed boot.

“Don’t move!” he snapped at her. Not wanting to get kicked again, she kept still, even as she was losing feeling in her legs. She didn’t know what was going on, and only prayed that the Soldier was both alive and coming back for her, if he could find her. Obviously something had happened that caused Hydra to move so suddenly and had them all in a panic. But what? And more importantly, what was going to happen to her?

“I don’t see why we’re keeping the kid,” one of the guards muttered. “She’ll only be in the way.”

“You idiot, they’ve been training her for years!” another one barked. “She’ll be their next assassin! The next Winter Soldier.”

“She just a little girl. What could she do?”

“Knock you off your feet, for one thing. I saw her flip a full-grown man once. She’s almost as good as the Asset.” While she appreciated the compliment, she didn’t want to become an assassin like the Winter Soldier. She just wanted a family, someone to love her and care for her, and for her to love and care for in return. She just wanted to be loved. Suddenly, the van jerked sharply as the driver stomped on the brakes, cursing loudly.

“What? What happened?”

“Look who it is!” the driver said, probably pointing out the front window.

“Well, would you look at that? Looks like he made it after all. C’mon, they’ll be wanting him back at the base.” Three of the guards climbed out and slammed the door. She didn’t dare move from where she was on the floor; two other guards and the driver were still inside the vehicle, and they probably wouldn’t like her moving either. The driver cursed again and scrambled around. The two guards jumped out and began firing their guns. The driver screamed in time with the sound of broken glass, then all was silent. The door behind her was opened suddenly, and she curled in on herself. A gentle hand touched her back, and she heard a voice she didn’t think she’d hear again.

“Miss menya, katenok?” (Miss me, kitten?) She jerked her head up and smiled so widely her cheeks began to hurt. She couldn’t move her legs from the cut-off blood flow, but she did sit up and hug him tightly. He gave a small laugh, something she’d never heard from him, and picked her up, holding her to him tightly. “Vy raneny?” (Are you injured?) She shook her head. “Khorosho. Gotovy li vy bezhat'?” (Good. Are you ready to run?) She pulled back a bit to look at him in confusion. “Mne nuzhno nayti otvety na nekotoryye voprosy. I ya nesu tebya so mnoy.” She smiled and nodded again. He returned her grin with a smile of his own, then turned and walked away from the van. She noticed that the guards and driver were lying on the ground, mostly likely dead, but she couldn’t really bring herself to care. She was leaving.  _ They _ were leaving. They may not be exactly safe, but they were free. (I need to find some answers. And I’m taking you with me.)

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had regained use of her legs after about ten minutes of being carried and insisted on being allowed to walk. She could run, too, but for now they were safe. The two were quiet as they ducked through the town. The people were much too busy with their own lives to notice them, plus the Soldier had acquired clothes for them that hid his metal arm and helped her look more like an actual child than a science experiment. He held her hand tightly and weaved through the crowd skillfully. She looked at the city with interested eyes as they walked, but never let her guard down. Hydra could be anywhere, and they weren’t going to just let them go without a fight. He led her down one street and up another, looking for all the world like he had a place to be when really he was just wandering aimlessly. She stumbled over a dip in the pavement, and he spun around to catch her before continuing on. It went on like this for another hour or two, and she kept stumbling over her tired feet. 

Finally, he stopped, picked her up, and carried her as he kept going. “YA ne znayu, kuda idti, katenok,” he said quietly into her ear. (I do not know where to go, kitten.) “Oni mogut byt' gde ugodno.” (They could be anywhere.) She squeezed his neck slightly, letting him know that she trusted him. He seemed to relax just a bit before ducking into an alley and cutting down to another street. When night fell, he crept into an abandoned building and set her down. “My budem spat' zdes' segodnya vecherom.” (We will sleep here tonight.) He shrugged off his backpack and laid it down on the ground, rifling through its depths. She sat on the floor cross-legged, watching him curiously. To her surprise, he pulled out a blanket and small pillow and handed them to her. “Son, katenok. My vykhodim utrom.” (Sleep, kitten. We leave in the morning.) And they lived like this for many months. Hydra hadn’t found them yet, or at least she didn’t think they had. Currently, they were living in a run-down apartment in a city in Brazil. 

They had been on the run for about a year now. He told her that he remembered his name. He said his name was Bucky, and that she could call him that, but he had no idea what her name was. He wrote down his memories in various journals that got filled up and shoved into a backpack he toted around. She didn’t tell him her name. He still spoke to her in Russian sometimes, but it was also English, and since they were in Brazil at the time, Portuguese. He still called her kitten, but the list of nicknames had expanded over the past few months. Sweetheart, doll, and oddly, mittens. The last one she assumed came from the kitten nickname, but she refused to answer to that one; she liked all of the other nicknames he called her. He only called her mittens to mess with her when he was having a good day. Today was not a good day for her, however. She had caught an illness from one of the village children and was a bit under the weather for the moment. He spent his time trying to keep her comfortable and to get her fever down. She didn’t want to cause any trouble for him; he’d done enough for her as it was. As her fever rose higher and higher, she slipped deeper and deeper into feverish dreams and fitful sleep. The last coherent thought she had was that she hoped that the Soldier wouldn’t decide she was too much of a hassle to keep and leave her.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Needless to say, Bucky was worried about the girl he’d taken charge of. He still didn’t have a name for her, and he didn’t want to come up with one that wasn’t her name. Also, he didn’t want to start guessing; that would take quite a while on his part. This feeling in deep in his chest that made him want to protect her and care for her was one that he couldn’t explain. He couldn’t remember ever having experienced it before, but sometimes he got flashes of the man on the bridge, the one he had dragged from the river, bloody and beaten and much smaller than he was now when the feeling appeared. The girl moaned pitifully, breaking the Soldier out of his thoughts. Her hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat, and she was tossing her head fitfully atop her pillow. The only thing that would get her to stop tossing and turning was when he laid his metal hand against her forehead. The cool metal soothed her fever, and she would rest calmly until his hand heated up again, then he would remove it, and she would start to move again. Finally, Bucky was at the end of his rope. He didn’t know what to do anymore, so he left her in their little house and went into the village to find a doctor for her. After asking around, he finally found the doctor in a hut about a mile down the road. “Por favor, preciso de ajuda,” he said to the man. “Ela está muito doente. Eu não sei como ajudá-la.” He had never spoken so fast in his life, nor had he ever been this worried, that he remembered. (Please, I need help. / She is very sick. I don’t know how to help her.)

“Senhor, por favor, acalme-se. Quem está doente? Onde ela está?” the doctor asked, gathering up his things to follow him. Bucky froze. Who should he say she is? Sister would never be believed, and he was acting too worried for her to be much else. That left only— (Sir, please, calm down. Who is sick? Where is she?)

“Minha filha. Ela não vai acordar, e ela tem uma febre alta. Por favor senhor.” (My daughter. She will not wake up, and she has a high fever. Please, sir.)

“Sim, sim, eu irei. Leve-me para ela.” Bucky couldn’t remember ever being this relieved. He felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders, and he practically ran back to their little place. He led the man up to her room and knelt down next to her, brushing her hair out of her face. (Yes, yes, I will. Take me to her.)

“Estou de volta, gatinho. Há um homem aqui para olhar para você. Por favor, acorde, boneca.” She moaned pitifully and pressed her sweaty head against his hand. He hissed slightly at how hot she was. (I’m back, kitten. There is a man here to look at you. Please wake up, doll.)

“Pita,” she whimpered. Bucky’s eyes widened. She could speak? She’d never said a word that he could remember. And she thought he was her father? When did—? How—? He couldn’t even finish his thoughts. (Daddy.)

“Eu estou aqui, gatinho. Estou aqui. Não se preocupe. Você vai ficar melhor em breve,” he said gently, holding her hand and looking at the doctor. “Por favor.” (I’m here, kitten. I’m here. Don’t worry. You will be better soon. / Please.)

“Sim, sim, claro. Sabe onde ela poderia ter obtido a doenca a partir de?” the doctor asked as he knelt down next to the girl. (Yes, yes, of course. Do you know where she might have gotten the illness from?)

“Não—não era um menino. Ele ficou doente, há uma semana, e ela brincava com ele. Ele mora duas casas para baixo.” The doctor nodded, his brown eyes focused as he took the girl’s pulse. (It—it was a boy. He got sick a week ago, and she was playing with him. He lives two houses down.)

“Sabe se ele está melhor agora? Quais foram os seus sintomas?” Bucky thought for a minute. (Do you know if he’s better now? What were the symptoms?)

“Sim, ele está bem agora. Eu sei que ele estava com febre e dormi muito, mas eu não tenho certeza se havia outros.” The man nodded again before rifling through his bag. (Yes, he is better now. I know he had a fever and slept a lot, but I’m not sure if there were others.)

“Eu tenho algumas ervas que podem ajudar. Triturá-los e colocá-los em água para ela beber todas as noites. Se ela não é melhor em três dias, venha me encontrar. Vou ficar na cidade.” He handed Bucky some leaves and stood up to leave. (I have some herbs that can help. Grind them and put them in water for her to drink every night. If she is not better in three days, come find me. I’ll stay in town.)

“Eu não tenho dinheiro para pagar,” Bucky said to the man. The doctor turned around and smiled, running a hand through his curly black hair. (I have no money to pay you.)

“Não se preocupe com isso. Eu só quero ajudar as pessoas. Venha me encontrar, se ela não é melhor em breve,” he said with a small smile. Then, he left, leaving Bucky alone with the girl. (Don’t worry about it. I just want to help people. Come find me if she is not better soon.)

“Ne volnuysya, kotenok. Vy budete luchshe v blizhaysheye vremya,” he said quietly to her. “YA budu zabotit'sya o tebe, solnyshko.” (Do not worry, kitten. You’ll be better soon. I’ll take care of you, sunshine.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When she woke up, she felt as if her head were waiting to explode. She could barely manage to open her eyes, but she did it. “Are you awake, myshka?” a quiet voice asked. She rubbed her eyes slightly to help get them focused. Blinking slowly, she looked up and saw Bucky sitting next to her, smiling a little. She nodded, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “How do you feel, kotenok?” She smiled a bit and pulled his arm to her, cuddling it. “I know you can talk, solnyshko. Come on.” She blinked up at him, big eyes looking at him silently. “Rukavitsy,” he said teasingly. She rolled her eyes. “Come on. I’ll keep bothering up until you do.” She made a sign of drinking water, then pointed at her throat. “Is your throat dry?” She nodded. “I’ll get you some water, but you’re still going to talk.” She nodded. He dug around in his pack and pulled out a bottle of water, unscrewing the cap and tilting it towards her. “Take slow sips. You’ve been out for a good while. Don’t want you to upset your stomach.” She took four long, slow sips before pushing his arm away. “Are you going to talk to me now, printsessa?” She nodded. (little mouse/kitten/sunshine/mittens/princess)

“Yes,” she said quietly. A large grin split across his face. She started at the sight of it. He’d never smiled like that before.

“What?” he asked when she jumped.

“You—you’ve never smiled before,” she whispered.

“I’ve never had occasion to. You have a lovely voice, doll. Why wouldn’t you talk?” She shrugged. “C’mon on now, vozlyublennaya. Don’t go silent on me.” (sweetheart)

“I—I don’t—” she stuttered. “It’s—I—I can’t—” She started shaking violently.

“Hey, hey now, myshka, it’s alright. If it’s hard for you to talk about, I won’t ask anymore. It’s alright. Calm down, kotenok. It’s okay.” He began to sing quietly in Russian. It always soothed her a bit. Eventually, she stopped shaking and clung to his arm tightly. He gently picked her up and held her in his lap, still singing. She eventually dropped off to sleep again, but he couldn’t bring himself to move her. “Spokoynoy nochi, moya zvezda,” he said quietly, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. Eventually, he followed her into the world of sleep. (Good night, my star.)


	4. Chapter 4

She talked to him more after they left Brazil, crossing the ocean on a fishing boat in exchange for help around the ship. She cleaned the cabins and things while Bucky helped with harder tasks. They shared a room down below, and that was when they spoke to each other. She told him that she was eleven, and that the people he had found her with (he remembered that part) were not her parents. “Who were they, myshka?” She shrugged a bit.

“I’m not sure,” she said quietly. She talked quietly, as if she wasn’t sure that they were entirely alone and didn’t want to be heard. He hadn’t heard her raise her voice once. “Scientists, I think. My parents needed money and sold me to them, I think. I don’t really remember. I was very young.” Bucky clenched his metal hand tightly.

“What did they do to you, printsessa?”

“Poked and prodded, for the most part of what I remember. They gave me some sort of shot, and those burned my insides, but that went away after a while. I don’t know what they did to me. We went to that cabin soon after the final shots, and then you arrived, and the rest, as they say, is history.” Bucky felt anger flare up in his chest. How could someone sell their child? How could someone experiment on her? She was just a little girl! Bucky pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

“I’m sorry, kotenok. I’m sorry they did that to you. I won’t let that happen to you ever again. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”

“I know you will. I trust you.” Bucky decided now was a good time as any to bring it up.

“Zvezdnyy svet, do you remember when you were sick?” She nodded slightly. “Do you remember much of what happened?” She shook her head. (starlight)

“Not really. I remember hearing your voice, and I wanted to tell you to help me, but I don’t remember if I could or not.”

“You did say something, but it wasn’t for help. Do you remember that?” She thought for a moment before shaking her head.

“You said ‘pita.’ You said that to me after I came back from getting the doctor.” She flushed from the neck up. “Do you know what that means?” She nodded a bit, her ears even tinged pink at the tips.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “If I made you uncomfort—”

“No, myshka, no. Don’t think I’m upset. I wanted to know why.” She got so very quiet for so long that Bucky thought she had gone to sleep. “Vozlyublennaya?”

“You’re the only person who ever treated me like a daughter,” she finally whispered. “Nikto bol'she nikogda ne zabotilsya.” Bucky’s metal fist clenched again. How could anyone not want to care for this little child who was only kind and gentle? (Nobody ever cared.)

“I’m so sorry, angel. I do not know why someone would not take care of you. Ty moy malen'kiy sharik solnechnogo sveta. I’ll take care of you, I promise. Ne volnuysya, malen'kaya zvezda, ya nikogda ne budu ostavlyat' Vas.” He held her tightly and kissed the top of her head, just letting her know he was there. (You’re my little ball of sunshine. / Do not worry, little star, I will never leave you.)

“YA lyublyu tebya papochka,” she said quietly. He stiffened for only a split second before a smile spread across his face. (I love you, Daddy.)

“YA tozhe lyublyu tebya, kotenok.” (I love you too, kitten.)

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Adelaide,” she said suddenly one night while they were laying in the dark.

“What?” Bucky asked, looking down at where she was using his chest as a pillow. They shared a bed now, since it was either that or one of them slept on the floor.

“That’s my name,” she clarified. “Adelaide.” He smiled.

“It’s beautiful.” He felt more than saw her smile.

“Thank you. My mother was a bit old-fashioned.”

“Well, I’m a bit old fashioned, too. I was born in the twenties.” She sat up and looked at him.

“What?” Bucky nodded and sat up.

“Yep. Actually, it was more of 1917, but I lived through the twenties. Fought in World War II.” She tilted her head.

“What year is it now?”

“Umm.” They both had to stop and think. “2015, I think.” Her eyes widened.

“You’re almost 100!” Bucky laughed.

“So I am. You’re eleven though.” Adelaide was quiet for a moment, then shook her head.

“No, I’m not.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Bucky was taken aback for a second.

“What do you mean? That’s what you told me.”

“I didn’t know what year it was. Now I do.”

“How old are you then, doll?”

“Thirty two.” Bucky nearly fell off the bed.

“What?”

“I was born in 1983, I know that for sure. Did I not do my math right?”

“No, no, you did it right, doll. How is that possible?”

“You found me when I was six, right?” Bucky nodded. “That was 1989. I stayed with you until 1991. After the last mission, they froze both of us. You might not remember. I think they wiped you before and after.”

“Why would they do that?”

“They were training me to be the next Winter Soldier. When you were out on missions, they trained me. They taught me all the languages and trained me to fight and put up with extreme conditions. Two days before you came back, they’d make sure I looked fed and well-cared for and explained away any lasting injuries when you got back.”

“Why would they use you as a motive for me? They were just going to wipe me anyway. Why keep you around?”

“Even in Winter Soldier mode, you protected me. Somewhere in there, you cared before you knew what that was, I guess. They called me the Soldier’s Pet. Eventually, they wanted me to be your equal, I suppose. When I went under in 1991, I was eight. We’ve been out of cryo for three years, or around there now. I’m eleven, physically. Everyone else who was born in 1983 in probably around thirty two now.” Bucky shook his head sadly.

“I’m sorry. If I hadn’t brought you with me—”

“I’d be dead. I would have starved or frozen to death in that cabin. You saved me, Daddy, whether you think you did or not.”

“Land ho!” the call came from above. They had talked all through the night. Bucky got up and kissed the top of her head.

“I love you, myshka. I’ll come get you when it’s time to go. Make sure everything is ready.”

“Da, papa.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Stay here while I look around,” Bucky said to her. Adelaide nodded and waited by the door, looking into the dark interior of the run-down apartment. He came back not five minutes later and nodded at her. “Eto bezopasno, svet zvezdy. Vy mozhete voyti.” She smiled and followed him into the room. “Hand me the newspapers and tape, kotenok.” She did and handed him pages one by one as he covered up most of the windows of the room. (It’s safe, starlight. You can enter.)

“My budem ostavat'sya zdes' dolgo, papa?” she asked quietly. (How long will we stay here, Daddy?)

“Do tekh por, kak my mozhem, vozlyublennym.” There was a bitter smile on his face when he said that, though. (As long as we can, sweetheart.)

“I don’t mind, Daddy. As long as I don’t get left behind, I don’t mind how long we stay or where we go.” He smiled a gentle smile at her and scooped her up into his arms. She was still frightfully small for a girl of twelve, but she was the perfect size to hold in a hug, so Bucky didn’t mind too much. At least she was getting semi-regular meals and gaining a bit of weight to her now.

“Vy prekrasny, angel. Ya ne znayu, kak na zemle, ya zasluzhivayu tebya v moyey zhizni.” She squeezed his neck in response and kissed his cheek. (You are beautiful, angel. I do not know how on earth I deserve you in my life.)

“Ya lyublyu tebya papochka.”

“Ya tozhe lyublyu tebya, printsessa. Now, come on. We need to get settled in, then I’m going to the market.”

“Can’t I come with you this time?” she asked as he put her down.

“No, myshka. You have to stay here. I need to scope out the best places. Maybe next time, alright?” Adelaide nodded sullenly.

“Alright, Daddy.”

“You have your things?”

“Yes, sir. And I’ll follow the escape plan you made up, I promise.”

“And then?”

“I’ll use my burner phone to text you and let you know where I am.”

“Good girl. I’ll be back soon, doll. Be good.”

“I will.” Bucky kissed her cheek and left, closing the door soundly behind him. Adelaide sighed and looked at the pitiful room. Of course, they weren’t actually renting the place. It was more of squatting, as they usually did. This building was very run-down, though, and the manager never checked the rooms because the faucets all leaked and electricity was spotty at best. It was like all the other places they had stayed upon reaching the shore eight months ago, only the water actually worked in this one. She knew better than to get in the shower right now, though. She wouldn’t be able to hear if anyone came in. Instead, she hurriedly changed into her other pair of clothes and put the old ones in a plastic bag. She or Bucky would wash them later. Then, she set about making the place a bit easier to navigate. She kicked the trash littering the floor into a corner and checked the lumpy mattress on the floor for bugs and such. For an abandoned room, it was actually kind of cozy. By the time Bucky came back, she was passed out on the mattress, using her jacket as a pillow. He gave her a small smile and covered her up with his own jacket.

“Spokoynoy nochi dorogaya moya.” After securing the room, he lay down next to her and went to sleep. (Good night, my darling.)

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

“Papa!” Adelaide cried happily, jumping into his arms. Bucky picked her up and spun her around once before simply holding her. “I missed you.”

“I was only gone for an hour, printsessa.”

“I know, but it got lonely here.” Bucky felt a pang in his chest. He set her down, then crouched to get eye-level with her.

“I’m sorry, kotenok. I wish we could stay long enough for you to make friends, but it’s just not safe. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you.”

“I know, Papa. I don’t mind. I don’t know how to make friends anyway. I can’t remember having any.”

“Oh, myshka,” Bucky said, his eyes full of sadness. “I wish I could give you the life you deserve.”

“It’s okay, Pita. I have you. That’s all I need.” She put her small hands on both sides of his face and smiled at him with a loving smile. He smiled back at her, his eyes glistening slightly.

“Ya lyublyu tebya, moya dorogaya malen'kaya devochka.” (I love you, my dear little girl.)

“Ya tozhe lyublyu tebya, moy samyy dorogoy otets.” (I love you too, my dearest father.)

“I got you something,” Bucky said after he had composed himself. Adelaide’s eyes lit up.

“What? What is it?” She was practically shaking with excitement.

“Today is a very special day,” he said, smiling at her as he looked in the bags he had brought home.

“Really? What is it?”

“You don’t know?” Adelaide stopped and thought for a moment.

“Today is November 15.” she said. Bucky nodded and put a white box down on the counter. She tried to climb up onto the little barstool Bucky had put there, but she wasn’t tall enough. Bucky picked her up and placed her on the counter next to the box.

“Open the box, and maybe you’ll understand,” he said, eyes shining with happiness. With nervous, but excited hands, Adelaide pulled open the lid of the box, and her eyes widened with surprise.

“You remembered,” she said quietly, looking down at what was in the box.

“You didn’t think I’d forget the day my little kotenok came into my life, did you?”

“I—I had hoped—well, I thought that—”

“I just thought that, since we didn’t know when your real birthday was, we’d celebrate when we found each other. Did I—I mean, do you like it?” He looked at her nervously.

“I love it,” she said, smiling up at him with shining eyes. “Thank you, Daddy.” She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and held him tightly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

“Well, go on,” he said, pulling away and motioning to the box. “Do I need to light a candle, or can you just make a wish?”

“Why don’t we split it, and we’ll both make a wish?” she suggested, cutting the small cupcake in half with a butter knife.

“All right then. We’ll do that.” Touching their cupcakes together, they both took large bites, grinning when icing got all over their faces and turned their teeth blue. They had both long-since finished their cupcakes and were simply just sitting, or in Bucky’s case, standing, at the island in companionable silence.

“What’re you humming?” Adelaide asked suddenly. Bucky started. He hadn’t even realized he was humming.

“I—I don’t know. I didn’t even know I was.”

“It was very nice. Do you think you could remember what it was?”

“Do you?” he asked. She thought hard for a moment before humming a slow, easy tune. (A/N: “Moonlight Serenade” by Glen Miller Band) Bucky listened long and hard before starting to recognize the tune. “Yeah. Yeah, I remember that,” he said. “I danced to it, I think, back in my time.”

“I like it,” Adelaide said.

“Do you now?” She nodded. “What if I taught you how to dance to it?” She stiffened a bit before shaking her head.

“No, I don’t think so,” she said quietly.

“Why not, doll? It’ll be fun.”

“I—I don’t know how,” she whispered, ducking her head.

“That’s why I’ll teach you, doll. Come on. There’s no one here but us. Please? Consider it a bit more of your birthday present. Whaddya say?” She thought about it, then nodded hesitantly.

“Okay,” she said nervously.

“Great!” Adelaide didn’t think that she had ever seen him smile so brightly. “C’mon then.” He helped her down, then moved the couch and mattress to the side, leaving an open space on the floor. “It’s not very hard, if my feet will remember how to dance. Just follow my lead.” Adelaide nodded, then took his hands as he began to hum again. They rocked and shuffled around gently to the tune that Bucky hummed. He noticed that her eyes began to droop. “Up here, kiddo,” he said, picked her up and holding her, humming again as he continued to dance. He finally felt her breathing even out, and he laid the two of them down onto the mattress. As the song finished in his head, he kissed the top of her head gently and whispered to her, “Night, doll.”


	5. Chapter 5

Adelaide could honestly say that she had never panicked before in her life. She was level-headed and trained to analyze situations and act accordingly. However, when a strange man entered her home after almost four months of no problems, she panicked. He had blocked her only ways out by snooping in the main rooms. She wasn’t tall enough to get out of the window in the bathroom. Currently, she was cowering, shaking, in the spare bedroom that they didn’t use. Suddenly, and hand covered her mouth, and warm breath was felt next to her ear. “Tol'ko menya, kotenok,” she heard her dad whisper into her ear so quietly even she barely heard it. “Ya videl soobshcheniye. Chto eto?” She began to sign to him frantically, not wanting to be heard. (Only me, kitten / I saw the message. What is it?”)

‘There is a large man outside, taller than you. He has a white star on his chest, and he talks to a man in his ear. Who is he? Why is he here? Has Hydra found us?’ He grabbed her hands and looked her in the eye.

“Îți amintești planul?” he asked quietly in Romanian. She nodded. “Când te-am da semn, să acționeze așa cum ați făcut-o în Hydra. Nu-l lăsa să știu că poți să-l auzi până nu-ți spun. Apoi, când totul este clar, urmați planul. Intelegi?” She nodded again. “Fata buna. Fii gata, steaua mea.” She kissed his cheek and gave him a hug, then nodded up at him. (Remember the plan? / When I give the signal, act as you did in Hydra. Do not let him know you can hear until I tell you. Then, when everything is clear, follow the plan. Understand? / Good girl. Be ready, my star.)

‘I love you, Daddy,’ she signed.

“Ya tozhe lyublyu tebya, Addie.” Her eyes widened at the new nickname as he left the room on silent feet. He had never called her by her actual name, much less a version of it ever since she had told him. What did it mean? She heard the creaking of a board, and she stepped down the hall into the living room, scooting up behind her father’s legs and peeking out at the tall man standing before her.

“Who’s that?” the man asked.

“None of your business.”

“Who is she, Bucky?”

“I don’t have to answer you.”

“What’s your name, kid?” the man asked her. She furrowed her brows at him and tilted her head at him before cowering back further behind Bucky’s legs.

“She won’t answer you.”

“Why not?”

“For one, she doesn’t trust you.”

“And she trusts you?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“Buck, I’m trying to help you. There are people after you.”

“I wasn’t in Vienna. I don’t do that anymore. I was here, with her.”

“That alibi won’t hold up in any court, and you know it. You’re a wanted man, Buck, and the entire world is out for your head. The people who think you did are coming here now. And they’re not planning on taking you alive. Now, I’m here to help you get out of here before the government gets here, busting in with guns blazing. “

“That’s smart,” Bucky said, placing a calming hand behind him on Adelaide’s head. “Good strategy.” He tapped her shoulder.

“This doesn’t have to end in a fight.”

“It always ends in a fight.”

“You pulled me from the river. Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. The same reason you’re taking care of that girl.”

“I don’t know, and don’t pretend that you do!” Bucky stepped away from her, and she hurried over, grabbing her jacket from the bed and putting it on. He strode towards the door with determined steps.

“Barnes, stop! You’re gonna kill someone!” Bucky spun around and slammed the man into the floor, punching a hole in the floor next to his head and pulling out their backpacks.

“I’m not gonna kill anyone.” He tossed Adelaide her ratty book bag and spun back around to punch the man that entered the room. It became an all-out fight after that. Adelaide ducked between the legs of three men, stopping only to glance back at Bucky, who was fighting his way after her. He nodded at her, his face serious, and she took off up the stairs, her feet almost blurs. Soldiers surrounded her suddenly.

“Stop! Put your hands up!”

“For goodness’ sake, man. It’s only a girl. Barnes probably had her held as leverage.” She backed up into a corner, looking frighteningly at the large guns the men held. She began shaking, her mind flickering back and forth from Hydra to present day.

_ What harm could a little girl do? Let him keep it. _

_ Tell him that she’s his next mission. I want to see how it plays out. _

“Hey, it’s alright. We won’t hurt you.”

_ Get stronger. It’s the only way you’ll live. _

_ Why bother talking to her? It’s not like she can hear you. _

_ But she is learning to read lips. This way she will be of use to us in the future. _

“Are you alright, little girl?”

_ Again! _

_ Again! _

_ Again! Or we will take it out of you later! _

_ Do it right! _

_ Shoot her. _

“Tranq her. The girl’s nuts.” She saw the gun get cocked, and she began to shake even more.

“The suspect’s escaped!”

“Get him!”

“Hurry up, man. Barnes is getting away, and they want him bad.” No. No, no, no, no, no. They couldn’t take him. They’d wipe him again or worse. She couldn’t lose him again. She curled up in tighter ball, shaking so hard that her teeth were chattering. A pressure was building up in her head, and she felt as if she was going to explode.

“I can’t get a good shot. She’s shaking so bad I might kill her.” She felt a snapped, and the pressure disappeared. Surprised sounds and exclamations echoed around her, and when she opened her eyes, all of the men were on the ground, unconscious. She stood on shaky feet and hurried up the stairs as quickly as she could. Had to go. Had to get away. Hydra would find them. Gotta go. Daddy was waiting. He’d fix everything. He always did. She finally got to the floor she was headed for and went out onto the balcony. Hurrying to the side, she looked down to see her dad land the jump. He looked up at her, then waved. She waved back, then hurried several steps back. Taking a deep breath, she started pumping her legs harder than she ever had before, running, running, running, jumping, falling. She locked eyes with Bucky, whose arms were out, ready to catch her. Suddenly, she was jerked upward, and encased in strong arms. She watched with frightened eyes as her dad got smaller and smaller beneath her, and a man in black came up to attack him. She started squirming fitfully, trying to get the man with metal wings to get her back to the ground.

“Cap, I got the girl, but she’s putting up a fight here. I’ve got a good hold on her, but she just knocked everyone except for Barnes off his feet within a half-mile radius. What do I do?”

“Get her somewhere safe, away from all of this. We’ll come get her after we get Bucky.”

“Got it. Come on, Wondergirl. Let’s get you somewhere safe.” She was dropped on her feet atop a building and left, watching the bird man fly off. Looking around, she began to run, jumping from building to building, keeping the flying man in sight. She followed him all the way to a highway system. She jumped down the hole leading to the tunnel-system, and looked around.

“Kotenok!” a voice cried. She spun around just in time to be caught up with a metal arm and seated on a speeding motorcycle. “I thought I’d lost you,” he said as he held her tightly. She shook her head.

“Not for very long, anyway.”

“I love you, my printsessa, no matter what happens here today. You must know that.”

“Daddy, I love you, and I know you do, but please focus on the road. The cat-man is catching up again.”

“Right.” They drove and avoided and did so many stunts that Adelaide was pretty sure her dad was a daredevil in another time. Then, he gripped her middle tightly. “Myshka, you see that pile of tires up ahead?”

“Da?”

“When I tell you, jump into them.”

“Da, papa.”

“Good girl. Ready?” She nodded. “Get set. Go!” He flung her, and she jumped, landing right in the middle of the rather hard rubber, but she had had much worse before. A large explosion sent her right back into the pile after she stood up, and she coughed around the dust that flew up and lunged out of the way as cars screeched to a halt and went every which way. She began frantically climbing over the rubble the explosion had caused, and she reached the other side only to see her dad face-down on the ground, being handcuffed.

“ābayē!” she cried, running to him as he stood up and caught her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. (Daddy!)

“giligeli, mini iyaderegachihu newi?” he asked frantically. (Kitten, what are you doing?) 

“inē bet’ami ābayē ānite līyat’a āyichilimi ibakihi,” she whispered to him, feeling tears trickle down her face. (I couldn’t lose you again.)

“Who is this? Steve, who is that?” the man in the gray metal suit asked the first man she had met.

“Don’t know. She was staying with him when we got here.”

“She a hostage?” the man with wings asked.

“No,” the cat-man said seriously. She noticed he had an accent, as she had thought. Her plan had worked. “She is no hostage of Sergeant Barnes. She is his daughter.”

“She’s a little old to be his daughter, unless Hydra let him fool around,” wing-man said. She didn’t know if she liked him or not.

“Family doesn’t necessarily end in blood,” the cat-man said. “However, it is not the time nor place to discuss these things. We must go.” Adelaide tightened her arms around her dad’s neck and started crying.

“Ya ne khochu delat', papa. YA ne khochu idti. Pozhaluysta, ne zastavlyay menya idti s nimi. Ya khochu domoy,” she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. (I don’t want to go, Daddy. I don’t want to go. Please don’t make me go with them. I want to go home.)

“Ya znayu, solntse. Ya znayu,” he replied quietly. He slowly set her down and crouched down to eye-level with her, as if he was going to tell her that he had another surprise for her. “I’m sorry this happened to you, sweetheart,” he said. “I did some bad thing. Really bad things. Now, that past has finally caught up with me. They won’t do anything to you; you’re just a child, but they’ll question you about me, and you tell them the truth. Tell them anything they want to know, alright? That man over there?” She turned and followed where he was pointing to the first man they had met. “He’s a friend of mine. He’ll take care of you. Be nice to him, and behave. His name is Steve Rogers, or Captain America as you might know him. To me, he’s just a kid from Brooklyn who fought all the battles he could. He’ll fight for you like I do. You’ll be safe with him. Understand, kotenok?” She nodded, but tears dripped down her face. “I’m sorry, moye serdtse. I wish it didn’t have to happen this way. I love you, moya yarkaya malen'kaya zvezda. Never forget that.” She nodded. “Now, go on.” He stood up and turned her towards Steve. She didn’t see what he mouthed to his old friend, but Steve did. Steve Rogers stood and watched and listened as his best friend looked at the little girl with all the love and caring that he had seen him show to his little sister, maybe even more. He heard the things he said to her about him, about everything, then he saw him stand up and turn her towards him, pushing her gently forwards. Looking up at his friend, he clearly saw the words he begged, pleaded to him. ‘Please, take care of my little girl.’ Steve nodded, face as serious as it had ever been. He would take care of the girl if it took every breath he had left. The girl came up to him, and he smiled down at her. “Her name is Adelaide,” Bucky said simply as the government officials cuffed him and led him away. Steve placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her before watching as both of them cast longing glances at each other as Bucky was dragged away. (I know, sunshine. I know/my heart/my bright little star)

“Come on, Cap,” the man in the metal suit said, making Adelaide look up at him. “Bring the girl, I suppose, but we have to get you to headquarters.” Steve nodded, looking down at her with serious, but kind blue eyes.

“C’mon, Adelaide. Time to go.” He helped her up into the seat in the back of the van, then slid in next to her. The cat-man slid in on her other side, and she pressed up closer to Steve. “Your Highness?” Steve asked.

“Yes, Captain?”

“Do you think you could scoot a bit closer to the door? I think you’re scaring her.”

“Then why doesn’t she say so herself?” the man said, looking at her with an empty stare. She met his eyes for only a brief second before looking down at her lap. She eased away from Steve’s side and sat up ram-rod straight, in perfect military fashion. It actually looked uncomfortable, the way she was sitting. They had only been in the van a few minutes when the bird-man, who sat in the back, started talking.

“So, you like cats?” he asked.

“Sam,” Steve said in exasperation. Sam. So that was the bird-man’s name.

“What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat, and you don’t wanna know more?”

“Your suit,” Steve said, much more respectfully. “Vibranim?”

“The Black Panther has been the protector of my people for generations. A mantle passed from warrior to warrior,” the cat-man answered seriously, looking at Adelaide out of the corner of his eye. “And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king.” Adelaide tried not to, but she felt a few tears slip past the edge of her eyes. “So I ask you, as both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?” Adelaide barely managed to suppress the shiver that shot its way down her spine. How could he talk about her father like that? She felt as if the man had stabbed one of his claws into her chest and clawed around in it before pulling away.

“King T’Challa, please,” Steve said. “If not for me, then for Adelaide. She apparently means a great deal to Bucky, and vice versa. Please don’t talk like that in front of her.” The man looked at her and regarded her for a full minute.

“Look at me,” he ordered. She turned eyes brimming with unshed tears toward him, barely keeping herself from crying or flinching in his gaze. “You are a strong little girl,” he said finally. “One who has seen and done much that one at your age should not have. I also suspect that you know things that may provide answers. For this reason, I will not speak of such things in your presence again. When you are ready, I will be willing to listen, Miss Adelaide.” She nodded slightly, then returned her gaze to her lap. She felt Steve lay a gentle hand on her back and rub it soothingly. They reached wherever they were going, and she climbed over Steve to get out of the vehicle and look for Bucky. She finally spotted him, and her heart dropped to her feet. He was in a reinforced glass cage, sitting down with his arms in restraints. She didn’t hear anything said as Steve and Sam led her to the room the others were going to. She was led into a big room and halted, looking at a man who, if her memory served, was Tony Stark, or Iron Man, as she recalled. He was on the phone when they walked in.

“Consequences? You bet there will be consequences.” Pause. “Obviously you can quote me on that. I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir.” He hung up and looked at Adelaide. “Who’s the kid?” Tony asked.

“We’re not sure. Her name’s Adelaide; she’s been staying with Bucky, and she won’t talk to anyone but him. That’s all we know. Consequences?” Steve said.

“Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted. I have to give him something.”

“I’m not getting that shield back, am I?” Steve asked.

“Technically, it’s government property. Wings too.”

“That’s cold,” Sam said.

“Warmer than jail,” Tony countered. He and Steve walked away, while Sam sat down with her in another room.

“So, you lived with Barnes?” he asked her. She looked at him blankly. “Look, sweetheart—” She tensed at the nickname. “Alright, easy there, Adelaide. Look, I help people with PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Among other things. And you have a bit of that, I think, which is why you only talk to people you trust. I get that, I really do, but it’s not healthy to keep everything bottled up inside.” She merely looked at him. Sam sighed. “Look, I’ll be there first to tell you that I’m not exactly part of Barnes’s fan-club, but I saw the way the man looked at you, and there was nothing but love in those eyes. I saw the same look in yours. You two are pretty close, and I’d love nothing more than to take you down to him and let you two hug it out, but I can’t. I can only help in the little way I know how. Let me help Cap help him. What do ya say?” Adelaide thought about it for a moment, then nodded slightly. “Okay. That’s a start. So, you’ve been with Barnes for quite a while now, huh?” She nodded. “Were you saved by him?” She nodded again. “Saved from who?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Right. Yes or no questions at the moment. Did he save you from a group?” Nod. “Was is a big group?” Another nod. “Was is about two years ago?” Nod again. “Did Barnes save you from Hydra?” Nod. “Mother of—you can’t be more than ten.” She held up one finger on one hand, and two on the other. “You’re twelve years old?” Nod. “Son of a—did Hydra start training you to be an assassin?” She nodded again. Sam ran a hand down his face. “C’mon, kid. We’ve got to go find Cap.” They found him, along with a woman named Sharon Carter in another room. There, a video screen showed the room where Bucky Barnes was being held. A man was just entering the room. She looked to Steve in question.

“He’s going to perform a psych evaluation of him,” Steve explained. “Determine if he’s stable or not.” Adelaide’s brow furrowed.

“Hello, Mr. Barnes,” the man said in an accented voice. “I’ve been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit?” Bucky made no move, only watched him closely. “Your first name is James?”

“The receipt for your gear,” Sharon said behind her.

“Bird costume?” Sam asked.

“Come on. I didn’t write it.”

“I’m not here to judge you,” the doctor said from the video. “I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James?” Bucky was silent, glaring at the floor. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me, James.” Adelaide held her breath. She so desperately wanted out of this awful place.

“My name is Bucky. Where’s Adelaide?”

“Who?”

“My daughter. The girl who was with me. Where is she?”

“She is well-taken care of, I assure you. Now, shall we continue?”

“Why would the task force release this photo to begin with?” Steve asked suddenly, drawing Adelaide’s focus from the video for a moment.

“Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?” Sharon suggested.

“Right. It’s a good way to flush a guy out of hiding,” Steve said. “Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. It’s a good way to get seven million people looking for the Winter Soldier.”

“You’re saying someone framed him to find him,” Sharon said.

“Steve, we looked for the guy for two years and found nothing.”

“We didn’t bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads.”

“So?” Adelaide turned back to the video, ignoring the adults. She looked down at the man at the desk and suddenly felt as if her heart had stopped. She saw something on that man’s desk that should not be there.

“No,” she whispered.

“What was that?” Steve asked, looking at her. He thought he heard the girl say something, but he wasn’t sure.

“It’s not possible,” she continued to herself, getting closer to the screen and looking hard at the book on the desk. She turned around suddenly, eyes wide with fright.

“What? What is it, Adelaide? What’s wrong?” Steve asked. She opened her mouth to talk, then thought better of it, motioning for him to follow her, then running out the door. “Adelaide!” Steve called out after her.

“Steve!” Sam yelled. She heard footsteps pounding after her. She had to get there fast. It would be too late if she didn’t make it there in time. She had to make it. It would break him, everything they had worked for for so long. Had to get there. Had to make it. Couldn’t be too slow. Flashes of her training ran through her head. Being chased by dogs and other tracking animals. Guns being fired at her. She had to go, faster, faster, faster.

“Adelaide!” Steve called. Elevator too slow. Stairs. She found them and ran. She knew where he was; she always knew, no matter what. She ran and ran and ran. She could hear Steve and Sam following, and prayed she wasn’t too late. She ducked through the door to the right floor and darted off down the hallway. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, and her breath burned her throat, but she kept going. If she didn’t make it. If she wasn’t fast enough. Suddenly, the lights went off. No. No. No. She’d make it. She was almost there. She’d get there in time. She skidded around a corner and barreled past two guards. Putting her hands out in front of her, she slammed into the door to the room, and it flew off of its hinges and into the room, crashing against the cage.

“Adelaide,” Bucky said in awe.

“Papa, he has—”

“Ah, ah, ah, little one,” the man said, smiling down at her. “You aren’t to be down here. And my, what a feat. You blew the whole door down. My, my. Such power for such a little girl.”

“Stop talking to her like that!” Bucky growled.

“Let’s talk about your home, no?” the man said, pulling the book from the table.

“No!” she cried, running up to him and kicking him hard in the leg. He winced, then backhanded her, sending her to the floor with a yelp.

“Kotenok!” Bucky yelled.

“Ah, see. There’s your real home,” the man said. “Not Romania. Certainly not Brooklyn, no. Your real home.” Adelaide shook her head. The man opened his mouth to read from the dreaded red book, and she strengthened her resolve. He wouldn’t get him back, not while she was there. With a low growl, she was grateful for the one thing Hydra taught her that served a purpose to help and harm at the same time. She jumped onto his back and knocked the book from his hands.

“Addie!” Bucky cried. She wouldn’t let go, locking her hands around his windpipe as she dangled down his back. The man clawed at her hands before smashing her back against a wall. She saw stars but refused to let go. “Stop, princess. You’re going to get hurt.”

“Listen to Daddy, little girl,” the man choked out. “Don’t want him to see you kill.” She locked eyes with Bucky, message clear in her eyes. He nodded. Cocking a leg back, she hit him hard in the back of the knee with her foot, sending him to the floor. She rolled away from him as he crashed to the floor, crouching on the ground. The man coughed violently, then looked up at her. “Very good, little one. Did Hydra teach you that?” She growled. “Well, I learned this in an alley in my youth.” He grabbed his bag and swung it at her. She ducked, but the strap got caught around her neck. The man lifted his arm, and she dangled several inches off the floor, and too far away from him to do anything.

“Addie!” Bucky yelled, trying to get out of his bonds. He was straining his left arm to get it to break the restraint, eyes locked with hers. “Hang on, doll!”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Barnes. She’ll be perfectly alright. This shouldn’t hurt at all.” She felt a little prick on her neck, and the world soon turned to darkness.

“Addie!”


	6. Chapter 6

She woke up with a slight headache, and everything sounded extremely loud. The waves were horrendous. Wait, waves? Opening her eyes, Adelaide saw that she wasn’t in the room where her father was being kept anymore. She sat up and looked around. “Hey, Adelaide,” a voice said, sounding a bit too loud. She winced. “Oh, sorry.” This time, the voice was quieter. “Are you alright?” She nodded at Steve and covered her ears. “Is everything a bit too loud for you?” She nodded. “Don’t worry. That will go away in about two minutes. Come on. I assume you’ll want to see Bucky.” She brightened up and hurried to her feet, only swaying a bit. “You okay there?” Adelaide nodded again. Steve helped her to another area of wherever they were, and she saw her dad, slumped against a piece of old machinery, his metal arm in a vice. She gave Steve a sad look. He seemed to understand. “After you were knocked out, Bucky went Winter Soldier mode on most of the agents there. It’s safe to say we are the world’s most wanted men right now. And you? You’re the victim of kidnapping, though they are still trying to find your family to alert them.” She nodded and gave Steve a bittersweet smile. She went over and sat down at Bucky’s feet, resting her head against his knee before closing her eyes. She vaguely registered Steve telling Sam to watch them before he walked away again. She heard a faint groan, and Adelaide looked up.

“Kotenok?” he asked quietly. She beamed up at him and jumped into his lap, hugging him tightly. He started to hug her with both arms, but he realized he couldn’t use both and settled with just holding her with the one.

“Hey, Cap!” Sam yelled. Steve came from around the corner.

“Adelaide, be careful.”

“I wouldn’t hurt her,” Bucky said.

“Which Bucky am I talking to?” Steve asked.

“Your mom’s name was Sarah,” Bucky said, then he laughed. “You used to wear newspapers in your shoes.”

“You can’t read that in a museum,” Steve said to Sam.

“Just like that?” Sam asked. “We’re supposed to be cool?”

“Well, if you need more evidence, look at Adelaide. She’s been with him for two years. Don’t you think she knows when he’s dangerous?”

“I would  _ never _ hurt her,” Bucky said again, much more firmly. Then, he sagged beneath her. “What did I do?” he asked solemnly.

“Enough,” Sam said.

“I knew this would happen,” Bucky said forlornly. “Everything that Hydra put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say those da—darn words.”

“Who was he?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know.”

“The bombing. The set up. The doctor did all that just to get ten minutes with you. I need you to do better than ‘I don’t know.’” Steve said.

“He wanted to know about Siberia.” Adelaide shivered violently at the thought. Bucky shushed her and rubbed her back a few times. “Where I—we—were kept.”

“Whoa, wait, you were with her?” Steve asked.

“You didn’t think I picked her up on the side of the road while I was on the run, did you Steve?” Steve shook his head.

“Keep going,” he said, motioning him on.

“He wanted to know exactly where.”

“Why would he need to know that?” Steve asked.

“Because I’m not the only Winter Soldier.”

“Good job,” Sam said.

“Get me out of here,” Bucky said. “I want to hold her.”

“Who were they?” Sam asked, making no move to free him.

“The most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in the Hydra history. And that was before the serum.”

“They all turned out like you?” Steve asked.

“Worse.” Adelaide shivered again. “Please, let me out. Let me hold her. Please.” She pushed her face into his neck.

“The doctor, can he control them?” Steve asked.

“Enough.”

“He said he wanted to see an empire fall,” Sam said.

“With these guys he can do it,” Bucky said. “They can speak thirty languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize. They can take a whole country down in one night. You’d never see them coming.”

“This would be a lot easier—”

“—if we call Tony,” Steve cut Sam off.

“Oh, he won’t believe us,” Sam said.

“Even if he did, who knows if the Accords will let him help? We’re on our own,” Sam said.

“Maybe not. I know a guy.”

“And I don’t suppose you have any idea where they are?” Sam asked.

“We will.” Steve released the vice on Bucky’s arm, and he wrapped both of his arms around Adelaide, holding her tightly.

“Eto khorosho seychas, kotenok. Ya tebya ponyal. Vy budete v poryadke,” he said to her gently, rocking a bit to soothe her. (It’s alright now, kitten. I’ve got you. You’ll be okay.)

“Ya skuchal po tebe, papa. YA byl tak napugan.” (I missed you, Daddy. I was so scared.)

“Razve ty ne ostalsya so Steve, kak ya vam skazal?” (Did you not stay with Steve, like I told you?)

“Da, no mne bylo strashno za vas. Ya ne doveryayu etim lyudyam. Kak my znayem, chto oni na nashey storone?” (Yes, but I was scared for you. I do not trust these people. How do we know that they are on our side?)

“My mozhem doveryat' Steve. On ne pozvolit chto-nibud' sluchitsya s nami, vy men'she vsego. Ne volnuytes', malen'kaya zvezda. Vse budet v poryadke.” (We can trust Steve. He will not let anything happen to us, you even more. Do not worry, little star. Everything will be okay.)

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide sat in the backseat of a blue Volkswagen next to her dad while Sam sat in the front passenger’s seat. All three of them watched Steve talk to Sharon Carter in front of their car. She didn’t know exactly what she was supposed to expect, but there was a tense silence in the car. Obviously, Sam Wilson didn’t trust her father like Steve did. He liked her well enough, though. Actually, most of the people she had come into contact with since meeting Steve Rogers seemed to like her, except for King T’Challa, that is. “Can you move your seat up?” Bucky asked Sam.

“No.” With a long-suffering sigh, Bucky scooted over and put Adelaide in his lap. She giggled a little bit, hiding her grin behind her hand.

“Vy dumayete, chto eto smeshno, varezhki?” he whispered into her ear. She stopped laughing and glared at him. Bucky returned her glare with a smile, then looked back out the window. She followed his gaze and started smiling again at the sight she saw. Steve pulled away from Sharon’s lips, and the two exchanged a few words before going their separate ways. Steve saw the three of them looking and smiling, and he took on an exasperated look before climbing into the car. (You think that’s funny, mittens?)

“Not a word,” he said warningly.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Sam answered. “But if I did—”

“You know what, Wilson?” Adelaide giggled again and settled back against her dad’s chest, watching the scenery blur by as they drove to wherever they were going. Steve parked the car next to an unmarked van in an empty airport parking deck, which would be suspicious in and of itself, except the airport was still being built. The four of them climbed out, and Adelaide stood next to her dad, watching two people climb out of the van and start talking to Steve. One was a man with short brown hair and brown eyes who had a quiver strapped to his back. He was dressed in all-black attire too, but he had a nice air about him that made her trust him, which was a first in her life. The other was a woman, who was shorter than the man, with long black hair and dark brown eyes. She had an accent of some kind, but Adelaide didn’t know from where. She was dressed mainly in black except for a crimson coat she wore. The man opened the back of the door, and another person climbed out and started talking animatedly to Steve and Sam. He was the tallest of the three new arrivals, and had spiked black hair and green eyes. He apparently had met Sam already, but Adelaide wasn’t paying too much attention to the new people.

“And who’s this?” the first man asked, looking at her suddenly. Steve looked to Bucky to explain.

“This is Adelaide,” her father said. “She’s my daughter.”

“Hey there,” the man said, crouching down to be on her level. “I’m Clint.” She nodded and shook his outstretched hand. “That’s Wanda and Scott.” She gave them all a small smile, which was returned. “How old are you?” he asked. Bucky nudged her gently in the back.

“Twelve,” she whispered.

“Wow! I’ve got a boy about that old. His name’s Cooper. I’ve got a little girl too. Her name’s Lily. I bet you’d like them. When all this is over, why don’t you and your dad come visit me and my farm, huh?” Adelaide nodded again, a large smile on her face. She liked this man a lot. She looked up at her dad with large eyes.

“Sure, myshka, we can go,” he said, smiling down at her. Suddenly, a voice came over the intercom system. Everyone looked to her dad for a translation. “They’re evacuating the airport.”

“Stark?” Sam asked.

“Stark,” Steve agreed. Bucky turned to her and looked her right in the eye.

“Listen, Addie. These people mean business. They want to take us back to the place we just left, okay? You need to hide somewhere safe until Steve, Clint, or I come and get you, understand?” She nodded.

“Da, papa.”

“Good girl. You stay safe, and if the battle comes close to you, you run. I don’t care where you go, just get to safety, alright? I’ll find you, no matter where you go.”

“I will help you hide,” Wanda said, coming over to her. “Come.” She held out her hand to her and smiled. Adelaide looked at her dad.

“Go with her, i moye serdtse s vami.” He hugged her tightly and kissed her head, then stood up. (and my heart goes with you.)

“Ya lyublyu tebya papochka,” she said as she took Wanda’s hand.

“Ya tozhe lyublyu tebya, kulka.” (baby doll) With that, she and Wanda took off, Clint following behind them to cover their backs. Wanda took her to the bottom floor of the parking deck.

“Kneel down and cover your head,” she said to her. Adelaide nodded and did as she was told. Various creaking and cracking was heard and Wanda moved boxes and crates around and above her to create a kind of bunker for her. There was a tiny opening at the back of it that would let her escape if she needed to.

“We’ll come back for you, Addie,” Clint said to her. “And we’ll have your dad with us.” With that, two sets of footsteps took off, leaving her all by herself. Nervous energy pulsed through her, and the only way she kept calm was thinking of the song that she and her dad had danced to for her birthday a few months ago. She heard the sounds of lasers being fired and things blowing up, but she didn’t feel anything that told her she needed to move. Suddenly, something flew overhead and took the top of her little place off. Yep. Time to go. She crawled out of the little space and took off in the opposite direction. She skidded to a halt when she saw the man in the gray flying suit that had first taken her in fly in front of her. Spinning on her heels, she ran in the other direction. She saw Bucky and the people who had sided with Steve fighting Tony Stark, King T’Challa, and a few other people she didn’t know. She didn’t know how to help or what to do. One side of her told her that she could help, and should, but the other side of her wanted to obey her dad. He only ever wanted to keep her safe, and she loved him enough to do it. Finally, she got an idea. She hid underneath a group of smashed cars and watched the battle. When a shot went right towards Steve, she shot out a tiny barrier and made it blow up prematurely. She wasn’t very good at her little barriers. They only happened when she was really scared, but she was actually very scared right now, so hopefully this would work. She watched as her dad and Steve took off towards a plane while Scott was suddenly humongous. The car to the right of where she was hiding got knocked away, so she climbed out. A tower next to where the two men were running started to fall, and she saw Wanda fighting to hold it up and let them through. That did it. She knew what to do. Running as fast as her tiny little legs would take her, she reached Wanda’s side and held up her hands.

“Adelaide, what are you doing here?” Wanda ground out.

“Helping.” Focusing as hard as she could, she bit back a scream as she sent out another shockwave much like the one she had done when Steve came for them. Wanda, Steve, Bucky, and herself stayed upright, but everyone else got knocked back or down. Bucky stopped and turned to look at her, eyes wide with shock and fright. Adelaide shook her head and motioned for him to go on. “I’ll be alright,” she said, knowing he somehow heard her. With a sad nod, he took off again. Wanda cried out suddenly, and the tower dropped. Adelaide hoped that they had made it through. She turned and saw Wanda cradled in a red and blue man’s arms.

“As I said,” the man said in an accented voice to Wanda, “catastrophe.” The man turned and shot a beam of light from his head suddenly, and a man began to plummet to the ground. Adelaide couldn’t see who it was, but it looked like Sam or the gray man. She wasn’t strong enough to try to slow his fall with her powers, but she did try. Looking right at the man, she held up her hands and focused.

_ Stop, _ she thought hard at the falling person. She saw them slow for just a minute, and she refused to let herself celebrate. She had to focus.  _ Slow down. _ Her energy was slipping. She couldn’t hold him.

“Adelaide, let him go,” Wanda’s weak voice said to her.

“Have. To. Help.” Her voice shook horribly, as did her hands.

“You can’t hold him. Not even I am that strong.”

“No!” she yelled as she focus broke and the man raced towards the ground. She saw two other people diving to catch him, but she couldn’t watch anymore. Gentle arms surrounded her as she fell to her knees and started crying.

“It’s alright,” Wanda said gently. “You tried. That’s what counts.” Adelaide shivered and sobbed. She had lost her dad and failed to save someone. What did it count for anything? Rough hands came and tore her away from Wanda.

_ No. _ They had found her. She thought she was safe, but they had found her. She and her dad were foolish to think that they were rid of them. They never would be. Cut off one head, two more will take its place. She was done for. They would kill her now.

“Let her go!” a voice cut through her panic-filled mind. “You’re scaring her!”

_ Come on, pet. _

_ What, tired already? _

“—she was in Hydra! You’re scaring her!”

_ Do it again. _

_ The Soldier will never know. _

_ Again! _

“Put her with me. I’ll keep her calm.”

_ Tighten your arms. Go for the legs. _

_ Again! _

_ You thought you were done? Again, until you get it right ten times in a row! _

“She’s just a girl, Stark!”

“A girl trained by Hydra! She’s just as dangerous as Barnes!”

_ You are only here for our amusement. _

_ We can kill you whenever we want. _

_ The Asset doesn’t need you. _

_ You will be the next Winter Soldier. _

“Give her to me. There’s no other—”

“Shut up, Barton!”

_ Nobody cares about you. Why should they? _

_ Your parents sold you to us for money. They don’t love you. _

“Tony, look at her. She’s terrified. Let me help her.”

“No!”

“She tried to save Colonel Rhodes. You owe her that much, Stark.”

_ You can’t save anyone. You’re only here to kill them. _

_ You’re a monster, child. No one will ever love you. _

“Hey, hey, Addie. It’s me. You’re safe now. Come back to us, Addie. Come on, it’s Clint.”

_ She will be called the Soldier’s pet. _

“Adelaide, you’re safe. Hydra’s gone. It’s just us.” Adelaide came back to herself to a cold, empty feeling that almost set her off again. “Hey, hey. Easy there. It’s just me.” She looked up and saw Clint’s kind eyes. “Hey,” he said gently. “You alright there, Adds?” She looked around a bit, but nodded. “Good. You had us all worried there for a bit. You hungry?” Another nod. “Here. I saved you some breakfast.” He handed her a roll, letting her nibble on it.

“Wh—where are we?” she asked quietly.

“The Raft. It’s a prison for dangerous people. That’d be us, as of right now.” She looked at him suddenly, eyes wide. “Relax. Your dad’s with Steve, as far as I know. They’re safe. You, me, Scott, Sam, and Wanda are in here. They’re out there. It’s actually the safest spot you could be in right now.”

“’M scared,” she whispered.

“I know, Adds. I know. You were shaking so badly and so far in your own head not even Wanda could get you out. Scott and I begged for you to be kept with one of us. Tony finally relented when Wanda told him what you did for Rhodey.” She was quiet again, and Clint held her tightly. “I know I’m not the same as your dad, but I’m trying here, okay?” She nodded and curled up against his chest, slowly nibbling on her bread. “I’ll keep you safe, alright? While we’re in here, I’ll protect you.”


	7. Chapter 7

“The futurist, gentlemen!” Clint said sarcastically, drawing her attention from where she was drawing with her finger on the floor of their cell. She looked up and saw Tony Stark standing on the other side of their cell. “The futurist is here! He sees all! He knows what’s best for you, whether you like it or not.”

“Give me a break, Barton. I had no idea they’d put you in here, come on.” Barton stood up and looked at him harshly.

“Yeah, well, you knew they’d put us somewhere, Tony.”

“Yeah, but not some super max floating ocean pokey. You know, this place is for maniacs. This place is for—”

“Criminals? Criminals, Tony. I think that’s the word you’re looking for, right? It ain’t used to mean me, or Sam, or Wanda, or a little girl! But here we are.”

“’Cause you broke the law.”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t make you.”

“The law, the law.”

“You read it, you broke it.”

“The law, the law, the law,” Clint continued. Adelaide looked up at him, and he gave her a small smile.

“Alright, you’re all grown-ups, except for her.” Tony motioned at her. She gave him a blank look. “You got a wife and kids. I don’t understand. Why didn’t you think about them before you chose the wrong side?” Adelaide stood up finally, surprising both men.

“How’s your friend?” she asked quietly, looking up at him nervously.

“I don’t know yet, kid,” Tony answered.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I tried to help him, but I wasn’t strong enough.”

“Thanks.” Tony left, leaving the two semi-alone. Cameras were always watching them.

“You’re a brave kid, Addie,” Clint said, sitting back down on his cot. She shook her head. “Yeah, you are. Most kids would be crying or have run scared from the battle, but you tried to help. You’re the bravest girl I’ve ever seen.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clint nudged her awake, and Adelaide blinked. “Time to go, Adds.” She sat up and looked out the door. There, smiling at her, was her father. He held a finger to his lips, and she nodded. When the door opened, she hurried towards him, but skidded to a halt.

“Your arm,” she said quietly. His metal arm had been blown clean off.

“I’m alright, myshka,” he whispered. He picked her up with his right arm and held her tightly. “I’m so sorry this happened to you, printsessa.”

“I had Uncle Clint,” she whispered back.

“Oh, is that what he is now?” he asked her quietly as he walked behind Cap, freeing the members of his team.

“He doesn’t know I’ve been calling him that in my head.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m glad you have family more than just me. It’s good.”

“Where’s Wanda?” Steve asked. She wiggled slightly, and her father put her down. She padded over in her bare feet and tugged on Steve sleeve, causing him to look down at her.

“She’s held in solitary,” she said quietly. “I heard two of the guards talking about her. I think she’s had a set-back.”

“Those sons of—”

“Hey,” Bucky said, cutting Clint off and nodding at Adelaide.

“Do you know where that is, Adelaide?” Steve asked. She nodded.

“How in the world did you know that?” Sam asked. Bucky started to explain as she led the way, Steve next to her to take care of any soldiers that came their way.

“She was experimented on when she was little. Her powers have only really started to show recently. Telepathy is one of them.”

“Smart girl,” Clint said proudly. She smiled and pointed to a door after leading them down two hallways.

“There.” While Steve and Clint worked on getting her out, Bucky knelt down and looked her over.

“Are you hurt?” he asked. She shook her head.

“Uncle Clint took good care of me,” she said quietly. Bucky nodded.

“I see that. I’ll thank him later.” After freeing Wanda and steadying her, the group hurried to their escape. Once they were away from the Raft, Adelaide climbed into her father’s lap and snuggled up to him.

“I missed you, Daddy.”

“I missed you too, myshka. I’m glad you’re alright.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Wakanda was the most beautiful place that Adelaide had ever seen. Green trees towering towards the sky, and rivers rushing to and fro caught her attention as they walked towards T’Challa’s palace. He was apparently on their side of whatever this fight was going on about and had offered their little group shelter from the outside world. Plus, he said that he could help her father. Adelaide wanted to be able to help him herself, what with her telepathy and all, but she wasn’t strong or experienced enough to do any real good. Wanda was still nervous about her powers, and she wasn’t ready to help Bucky either. T’Challa was going to replace her father’s arm either way, so Adelaide decided that maybe the cat-man wasn’t so bad after all. Adelaide had hardly left Bucky’s side since being reunited with him. She even slept in the same bed with him, not that anybody in the team really minded. They understood that she had been through a lot and Bucky had been a much-needed constant in her life. The others were quickly turning into a part of her make-shift family, doting on her and playing with her whenever she needed entertainment. She still didn’t talk to many people, if she talked at all. Mainly, it was Bucky, Clint, and Wanda. Steve could hold her attention for a long period of time with stories of his childhood in Brooklyn, and Sam told her jokes that made her giggle, and Scott was always willing to sit and color with her if she asked. However, everyone understood that she just had a connection to the other three, one that all of them hoped to achieve some day. Two weeks after reaching Wakanda, Bucky pulled her into his lap on the couch in their little part of the castle and held her tightly. “Addie, I need to talk to you,” he said a bit nervously.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” she asked, putting down her _ Peter Pan _ book.

“You remember when T’Challa told us that he could help me?” She nodded.

“Da, papa.”

“Well, they haven’t found a way yet, but he’s working on it.”

“Okay.” She started to wiggle off of his lap, but he pulled her back.

“Kotenok, there’s more. I need you to listen.” She instantly stopped and turned to fully face him.

“What is it, Daddy?”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, you know that.”

“Yes, papa.”

“And you know I’d do anything to keep you safe, right printsessa?”

“Yes, papa, I know.”

“Do you remember the man in Berlin who said the words and turned me into the Winter Soldier again until Steve stopped me?”

“Da, papa.”“Well, I can’t risk that happening again. T’Challa has a way to make sure that doesn’t happen until he can find a way to get everything that Hydra did to me out of my head.”

“That’s good, Daddy. What are you so nervous?”

“Because, myshka, I have to go away for a little while until it gets fixed.” Adelaide’s heart dropped.

“No! I want you to stay here with me!”

“I know, kulka. I don’t want to leave you, but I won’t really be too far away.” He held her tightly as she clung to his neck.

“But you said you’re going away,” she whimpered.

“Do you remember what Hydra did to us?” She shot up and looked at him wide-eyed.

“Cryo-freeze? You want to do that?”

“Myshka, I’m choosing to. I don’t want to have to worry if I’m going to hurt you or Steve or anyone else.”

“But what if they can’t fix you soon? What if I’m all grown-up by the time you get out? I don’t want you to miss everything! I want you to be my Daddy!” Bucky felt tears well up in his eyes.

“Oh, moya printsessa,” he whispered, tucking her hair behind her ears, “I’ll always be your Daddy, even when you’re all grown up and as old as me and Stevie. Nothing will ever change that.”

“But Daddy—”

“I trust T’Challa,” he said. “He’ll get me out of there as quickly as he can. I’ll be back before you know it. Besides, you have to do something for me while I’m asleep.”

“What is it?”

“I need you to take care of Steve and the others. Look out for them and keep them happy. Can you do that for me, kotenok?” Adelaide nodded.

“Da, papa. I’ll take care of them.”

“There’s my good little girl. I love you so much, little starlight.” He hugged her against him and whispered all of his little endearments and nicknames into her ear so she’d remember them while he was asleep. He closed his eyes and memorized the feel of her held tightly to him to comfort him while he was frozen. He didn’t want to miss his little girl growing up. He’d come back to her, and he’d fight off the whole world to find her again if he had to. “My little ball of sunshine,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Svet v moyem temnom serdtse.” (The light in my dark heart.)

“I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, kotenok.”


	8. Chapter 8

Adelaide sat quietly with Bucky and Clint, coloring in a page that they had found for her. Actually, it was a book full of pages for her to draw in, but she wanted to be able to color them in again, so they had copied it for her. They doted on her, it was obvious. Bucky was going under tomorrow morning, so the two were practically inseparable. Adelaide was as talkative as ever, which wasn’t much, but she was doing as much as she could with her dad. They watched movies and listened to music with Steve to get caught up on modern culture, went on walks through the city with Wanda, and as they were doing now, coloring with Clint and/or Scott. Wanda pulled Clint away for a moment, and the two were left on their own. Adelaide finished her picture and handed it to her father for inspection. “It’s beautiful, Addie,” he said with a smile. “Better than I could ever do. Almost better than Stevie too.” She blushed and looked down.

“’S not that good,” she mumbled.

“Yes it is. You’re quite the artist, zvezdnyy svet.” She smiled shyly and took the page back, leaving it on the table for Clint to see when he came back. She wrote his name on the back of the page so Clint would know he could keep it. She yawned loudly, and Bucky picked her up. “C’mon, doll, time for bed.”

“No,” she said pitifully.

“Yes. You can barely keep your eyes open, printsessa.”

“Wanna stay up with you,” she mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

“Solnechnyy svet, I’m going to bed with you. Nobody’s staying up.”

“But I don’ wanna let you go away,” she said into his neck. He halted mid-stride and squeezed her tighter.

“Oh, kulka,” he said quietly, “everything will be alright.” He started walking again.

“No, it won’t,” she replied. “You won’t be with me. You won’t be there to do all the things daddies do. Not for a while.”

“But you’ll have Steve, Clint, and the others. Aren’t they important to you?” he asked as he entered their living area.

“Yes, but they aren’t the same, Papa.”

“But they love you, kotenok. Almost as much as I do. They only want you to be happy.”

“But I’m happy with you.”

“I know, myshka, I know. You make me the happiest I’ve been since I can remember. I love you so much, malo solnechnogo sveta, I don’t know how to explain it. But I also want to be able to do all the things that daddies are supposed to do without worrying about hurting you or anyone else. Don’t you think that’d make things so much better?” Adelaide nodded reluctantly as she let Bucky change her into her nightclothes, which honestly consisted of just one of his shirts and some shorts that T’Challa had provided for her. She climbed up into bed and nestled into Bucky’s chest once he had turned off the lights and climbed into bed. (little sunshine)

“I suppose, but only to keep everyone else safe. I don’t think you’re dangerous.”

“I know, printsessa. Now, go to sleep. I’ll make breakfast in the morning.”

“Pancakes and bacon?” she asked hopefully, causing Bucky to chuckle.

“Yeah, we can do that. Spokoynoy nochi, moye serdtse.” (Goodnight, my heart.)

“Spokoynoy nochi, papa.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide promised herself when she got up that morning that she wouldn’t cry. She’d see her dad again; she had to. She’d be strong; she’d show him that she would be able to take care of Steve. Adelaide walked next to him towards the medical wing of the palace, left hand clasped tightly in his right. He wore comfortable clothes, and she was wearing a cute little yellow sundress that had white polka-dots all over it. Her long brown hair was tied back in a white ribbon, and her little white shoes clicked on the floor. Yes, Steve and Bucky had picked her outfit out for her; no, she didn’t like it all that much; yes, she would continue to wear it; no, she would not complain about it. Steve walked behind the two, silently watching them. When they entered the room, Adelaide shivered at the chamber there. Bad memories that she didn’t want to think about fought to swim to the surface of her mind, but she forced them back down, choosing instead to focus on her dad, who was sitting on the examination table and holding out his hand for her to join him. Steve picked her up and set her down next to Bucky, and the three waited patiently and silently as the doctors looked him over and made sure nothing was going to go wrong. Then, they left the three to say their “until we meet agains”. “You sure about this?” Steve asked Bucky.

“I can’t trust my own mind. So, until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head, I think going back under is the best thing,” he paused and looked over at Adelaide, “for everyone.” She leaned against his left side silently, simply and quietly agreeing with his statement, though she didn’t like it. “Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Take care of Addie.”

“Of course. You didn’t even have to ask.”

“Thank you. Addie, you be good, okay?” He looked at her with wide, pleading eyes. He needed to know that she’d be okay.

“Da, papa. I’ll behave.”

“Khoroshaya devochka. Make me proud, dorogaya. I’ll see you soon.” (good girl/darling)

“Ya budu, papa. YA lyublyu tebya. (I will, Daddy. I love you.)

“YA tozhe lyublyu tebya, moy angel. Ya vernus' k tebe.” (I love you too, my angel. I will come back to you.) With a final hug and kiss to her forehead, he gave Steve a nod and stepped into the chamber. The door slid closed, and the interior filled with a blast of something, and all it looked like was that he was sleeping. Adelaide laid a gentle hand on the glass, then left. She went to her room and climbed onto the bed she had left only two hours before with her dad and pulled his pillow close to her, cuddling it. There, in the quiet of her room, she started to cry. She was fine, until he said that last line.

“Why did you say that?” she asked the empty room. “Why? Why would you try to treat this like any other time? I was—I was okay, Daddy. I would have been fine, but now you—” She sobbed into the pillow until her eyes were puffy, her nose was stuffed, and her head hurt. She curled up and closed her eyes, thinking back over the memories she had with him. She hadn’t lost him, but she had to keep thinking happy thoughts.

_ We will sleep here tonight. We leave in the morning. _

_ I love you too, kotenok. _

_ I happen to like plums, doll. You don’t have to eat them. _

_ Do it again, myshka, but do it like this instead. _

_ No, printsessa, that’s not it. THIS is how you say it. _

_ Get up. _

_ Do you understand me? _

_ You’re safe now. _

_ Mission. Behave. _

_ Bed. _

_ You should sleep. _

_ Miss me, kotenok? _

_ And I’m taking you with me. _

_ I’d do anything for you, myshka. _

_ You mean more to me than anything. _

_ Take care of Stevie and the others. _

_ Good girl. _

_ Only me, myshka. _

_ I will come back to you. _

_ I love you, Addie. _

_\------------------------------------------------------_

A quiet knock sounded on her door, waking her up. She didn’t even remember going to sleep. “Adds, are you awake?” Clint’s voice called quietly as he opened the bedroom door.

“Yes,” she answered, sitting up and rubbing her sore eyes.

“Hey there, Adds,” he said, coming to sit with her. “The rest of us were going to watch a movie. Do you want to come join us?” She nodded, climbing out of bed and going to fix her sleep-tousled hair. “Did Cap pick that out for you?” Clint asked, watching her retie the ribbon.

“Yes.”

“I can tell. It’s very forties.” She glared at him in the mirror. “But it’s cute!” he backtracked. Clint led her back to the sitting room, where the others were sprawled out on the various couches and chairs. Clint collapsed into one of the armchairs, and Wanda patted the seat next to her for Adelaide to sit on. She curled into Wanda’s side and giggled a bit when she poked under her ribs.

“Are you alright?” Wanda asked quietly. “I know what it’s like.” Adelaide nodded.

“I will be,” she whispered back. “I have all of you.” Wanda smiled and nodded.

“Of course you do.” Adelaide sat and watched several movies with her little family, laughing and smiling with them as if everything was the same, though she was screaming in pain on the inside. She would push through the pain, though. She had to, for the others who loved her like their own, and for Bucky, the only true father she had ever known.


	9. Chapter 9

“Ladie, where are you?” Scott’s voice called from the hallway.

“Here, Uncle Scott!” Adelaide answered, poking her head out from where she stood in the closet, trying to decide what to wear.

“Hey, there you are. Look, Steve’s got something he wants to tell all of us. Be down in the kitchen at eleven, alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl. I’ll see you later, alright?” he asked, kissing the top of her head.

“Yep.”

“Okay!” Scott walked back out, leaving her to her own devices. Adelaide finally decided on a pair of denim shorts and a light green sleeveless shirt that had “Let Your Light Shine” on it in big gold letters. Walking down the hall in her bare feet, she went down a route she knew by heart. She smiled at familiar faces as she passed before ducking into a room that was empty, save for the one person in it.

“Hey, Daddy,” she said, placing a hand on the glass and smiling. “It’s been eight months now. I turned thirteen as of yesterday morning. Uncle Clint and Wanda wanted to go all-out with a party, but I asked if it would just be alright for our little group to celebrate here instead. I got some pretty neat things. Uncle Steve gave me your old dog tags. I didn’t even know you were in the army.” She fingered the chain around her neck, making the little plates jingle. “Uncle Clint gave me a new coloring book. This one has scenes from  _ Lord of the Rings _ in it. I already did one whole page. Wanda got me a ring like hers. It has my birthday engraved into the inside of it, where hers has Pietro’s name on it. I wish I could have met him; he seems to have meant a lot to Wanda. Uncle Scott gave me a carving he did with the help of some ants. It looks just like a howling wolf. It’s sitting on my dresser now. Uncle Sam gave me a bracelet. It has two little stars on it, and room for more charms. The stars are red and white. I guess I don’t have to tell you what they mean. T’Challa gave me a stuffed bear, and it’s really soft. I slept with it last night instead of a pillow, and I don’t think I’ll switch back.” She grew silent and leaned her forehead against the cool glass. “I miss you, Daddy. I thought it would be easier to be strong for you. It isn’t. I didn’t realize how much stronger you made me until I had to make it on my own. You’ve always been there, even when you didn’t remember me, and now, I’m not quite sure how to move on. Uncle Steve and the others have been helpful and understanding, but I don’t know how long I can hold up under all of this. I won’t give up, though. That’s not what you would want me to do. I’ll keep going; I’ll make you proud of me. I love you, Daddy. Ya podozhdu tebya.” With that, she placed a small kiss on the glass and left the room, heading down to the kitchen, where she found Wanda reading a book. (I will wait for you.)

“Good morning, Addie,” she said with a smile.

“Morning, Wanda,” she answered, snagging an apple from the bowl sitting on the counter and hopping up onto a stool next to her. “What are you reading?”

“Something that Clint suggested.  _ The Secret Garden _ . It actually quite nice.”

“May I read it after you?”

“Of course. Do you know what Steve wants to tell us?” Adelaide shook her head around a mouthful of apple.

“Uncle Scott said to be in the kitchen at eleven. I’m here early.”

“I suppose we both are. If you’d like, I could read some of the book to you.” Adelaide nodded and crawled over into Wanda’s lap, who started to read aloud from where she was. By the time Steve entered the kitchen, they were almost a fourth through the book.

“Well, you two have been busy,” he said with a smile.

“Wanda was reading to me,” Adelaide answered.

“Was is interesting?” he asked.

“Yes. You should read it, Uncle Steve. You’d like it!”

“I might. Later.” One by one, the others filed in until everyone was settled around the kitchen island. “Alright, I have something to tell all of you. The UN has decided that we are allowed safely back into the country. Someone went back over the Sokovia Accords, and they have been renegotiated. We aren’t fugitives anymore. We can go home.” Various cheers and exclamations were made, but Adelaide remained silent.

“What’s wrong, Adds?” Clint asked, noticing her demeanor.

“What about me?” she asked quietly.

“What about you?” Steve asked.

“What will happen to me?”

“You’ll come stay with us,” Sam said.

“But, Daddy—”

“T’Challa has promised to let you come see him whenever you want, and he will do everything he can to get him back to normal as quickly as possible. They already have several things they think might work. Don’t worry, Addie. We’ll take care of him, and you,” Steve reassured her. Adelaide nodded.

“When do we leave?” Scott asked.

“Two days. T’Challa will provide us with transport back to D.C., and we are guaranteed safe passage to the Avengers’ bunker.”

“Guess we better get to packing, then,” Clint said, shoving off of the island and heading down the hallway.

“Come on, Addie,” Wanda said. “I’ll help you pack your things.” Adelaide slipped off of Wanda’s lap and hugged Steve’s leg. She hadn’t grown much yet, so that was still all she could reach.

“Thank you, Uncle Steve,” she said.

“For what?”

“Letting me come with you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving you behind,” he assured her. “Now, go on. Wanda’s waiting.” Adelaide hurried out after Wanda to go get ready to leave.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ladie, we’re leaving in an hour!” Scott called.

“Okay! I’ll be there!” She hurried off down the hallway and into the room again. “Hi, Daddy. I won’t be visiting you so much anymore. Uncle Steve is being allowed back into the States. All of us are going back to Washington, D.C. today. I’ll be good, I promise, and I’ll make you proud. I love you, Daddy. Speshite ko mne spinoy.” She kissed the glass one last time before going back into her room and making sure everything was ready to go. (Hurry back to me.)

“Adds, we’re loading the plane!” Clint called from the hallway.

“I’m ready to go, Uncle Clint!”

“Scott and Steve will be back to carry your stuff in a little bit, okay?”

“Okay!” By the time everything was loaded and ready, Adelaide was sitting in her seat on the plane, looking out the window as T’Challa spoke with the pilot before coming aboard.

“I wish you all a safe trip back, my friends,” he said, nodding to all of them. Adelaide hopped up and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, T’Challa,” she said quietly. “For everything.”

“You’re welcome, little lioness. I will help your father return to you, I promise.”

“I know you will.”

“I will see you again soon, Adelaide.”

“Goodbye, T’Challa.” She sat back down while everyone got settled, then watched as Wakanda grew smaller and smaller while the plane flew away. She looked over at Clint and Scott, who were practically giddy with excitement. They hadn’t seen their families in forever, and now they finally got to. She would be as excited as they were, if she were in their position. Wanda gave her a small smile and patted her knee from where she sat on the other side of the small aisle.

“Don’t worry,” she said quietly. “Everything will turn out alright.” Adelaide smiled back at her.

“I know.” She turned and looked out the window.

_ I’ll find my way back to you, Daddy. Somehow, we’ll be together again. _

_\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Teresa nervously clung to Clint’s neck as he held her inside the plane. She had only met Tony Stark once, and he’d seemed rather nice, but this time it was after the big showdown with her dad. She didn’t know what to expect. “Don’t worry, Adds,” Clint said. “He wouldn’t have called us back if he didn’t want us to be here.”

“But what if he doesn’t want me there?”

“Then he’ll have to deal with it. You’re our little girl now. He’ll have to fight through all of us to get to you,” Scott said. She smiled at him.

“Thanks, Uncle Scott.”

“Anything for you, Ladie.” He kissed her forehead, then walked to the hatch of the plane.

“Ready to face the music?” Clint asked. She nodded.

“I think so.”

“May I hold your hand?” Wanda asked. Adelaide nodded.

“Do I get to meet Vision now?” she asked Wanda as she was set down and grabbed Wanda’s hand. The two had confided in each other quite a bit during the past eight months, and Wanda had told her about her relationship with Vision. Wanda blushed.

“I suppose so. I don’t know if he’ll talk to me now, though. We didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.”

“From what you’ve told me about him, I think he’ll forgive you. I think he just misses you.”

“How did you get so wise?”

“I talked to T’Challa a lot.” Wanda and Steve laughed heartily at her statement.

“I’ll tell him you said that,” Steve said. “Come on, you two. Let’s go home.” Steve walked out first, flanked by Sam and Scott. Wanda, who let go her Adelaide’s hand, and Clint walked behind her, all subtly telling the surrounding guards and crowd that they would have to go through all five of them if anyone tried to get to the girl. They entered a room hidden behind tinted window and were met by a man that apparently nobody liked, because the room was instantly tense.

“Captain Rogers,” he said. “Didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“Secretary Ross,” Steve replied tensely. Adelaide had backed up against Clint and Wanda, using them for a sort of support to her shaking form. Clint laid a hand on her shoulder, and Wanda bent her knee a bit to tap against her shoulder blade. Adelaide was too nervous to pay much attention to what the adults were saying. She wanted to go home; this place was too loud with too many people and lights and sounds. She missed Wakanda. Correction: she missed her dad.

“Transportation has been provided, along with a bit of a decoy system should anyone try anything. Your car is waiting for you, with a driver, down that hallway. It’s the last door to the right.”

“Thank you,” Steve said, then turned to their group. “Well, let’s get this over with.” The six of them began walking, Clint leading Adelaide along by the hand.

“Don’t worry, Adds,” he said quietly. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”

“We will keep you safe,” Wanda assured. When they entered the door, a grey SUV was waiting for them, the driver leaning nonchalantly against it. He nodded to them formally, then climbed into the driver’s seat. Scott took the front seat, as he was the least recognizable of all of them. Sam and Wanda took the middle two seats, and Steve, Adelaide, and Clint climbed into the back. She knew what they were doing, the little ways they were trying to make her feel safe and calm. The engine started, and they pulled out onto the open road. She watched the road silently for several minutes before speaking up.

“Uncle Steve?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, Addie?”

“How long until we get there?”

“A few hours, bug. You can take a nap if you want. It’s going to be awhile.” She nodded and leaned her head against Clint, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and let her use his chest as a pillow.

“We’ll wake you when we get there, Adds. Sleep well.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Addie.” The voice cut through her dreaming. “Addie, wake up.” Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw Wanda’s smiling face looking at her front the seat in front of her. “We’re here.” Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she looked through the front window of the SUV to see a bunker of some sort. Clint gave her a reassuring pat as the car pulled to a stop in front of the building. Everyone climbed out, and Steve knelt down in front of Adelaide.

“Addie, this is where we’re going to be staying for a while. You’re safe here; it’s probably the safest place on the planet right now. Wanda’s going to be in the room right next to yours, and I’m going to be across the hall if you need anything at all, okay? You don’t have to be nervous or scared, you know that right?”

“Yes, Uncle Steve,” she said with a small nod. “I know.”

“Good,” he said with a smile. He patted her head and stood up. As they walked towards the front door, a man stepped out. Adelaide paused for a split second before continuing on her way. Although Tony Stark wasn’t her favorite person at this moment in time, he obviously felt sorry for what he did and wanted to make amends. The group reached the front door, and Tony greeted them.

“Cap,” he said tensely.

“Good to see you, Tony,” Steve said with a small smile.

“Yeah. Well, come on. Let’s get inside.” Adelaide looked around the building, taking in the sheer magnitude in size and technology and decoration. She decided that yes, Tony Stark certainly was a billionaire that liked to show it.

“Adds,” Clint said, breaking her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him, and he nodded towards Tony. She looked at him, and he was looking at her while fidgeting with the cup of whiskey in his hands. Oh.

“Hello, Mr. Stark,” Adelaide said, nodding at him in greeting. “Thank you for letting me come stay here with everyone.”

“Yeah, no problem, Bit.” She looked at Steve in confusion.

‘Just go with it,’ he mouthed at her. She nodded again and followed everyone as Tony made sure everyone still knew where their rooms were. Adelaide held in a squeal of excitement when she entered her room. She’d never seen so many stuffed animals in her life! Of course, T’Challa’s bear was packed safely in her belongings, but there were lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) and birds and dogs and cats and so many other animals of all shapes and sizes. She turned to Tony in her excitement and hugged his legs.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark!” she said happily. “It’s wonderful!” Tony looked shocked at her actions and patted her head.

“You’re welcome, Bit.” Adelaide looked up at Steve, who was watching her with an amused smile.

“Is it alright if I stay here, Uncle Steve? I want to look around my room.”

“Sure, Addie. Just stay out of trouble.”

“I will. I promise.” The rest of the group headed on their way, and Addie turned to sort through her things. She actually had surprised herself at how vocal she was today. She hadn’t spoken this much, and to complete strangers no less, since before her father went under. After arranging the animals on her bed as she liked them, she went back into the hallway and back to the common room, where she heard a conversation she didn’t know if she was supposed to here.

“How is the girl reacting?” an unfamiliar voice asked.

“Addie?” Wanda’s voice asked. “Good. She’s come a long way from when I first met her. She smiles more, and talks to all of us now. She even hugged Stark when she saw her room. That shocked all of us.”

“She seems like a hardy young girl.”

“I don’t know if I could have done as well as I did while we were in Wakanda if I hadn’t had her. We developed our powers together. She’s quite the interesting little girl, when she comes out of her shell.” There was silence for a moment, then Wanda spoke up again. “How is Rhodey?”

“Colonel Rhodes is well, given the circumstances. He lost the ability to walk during the fall. Mr. Stark has made braces for his legs that allow him to continue walking, and he has adapted well.”

“That’s good. She was very upset that she didn’t save him, you know. She cried quite a bit over that.”

“She sounds like a wonderful girl.”

“She is. She means so much to all of us. I don’t think she knows how much she helped Clint and Scott while they were separated from their families. They adore her.” Adelaide decided to enter the room now and padded in on bare feet.

“Wanda,” she said quietly. “I’m hungry.” She looked at the man next to Wanda and nodded politely.

“Adelaide, this is Vision. Vision, this is Addie, Bucky’s daughter.” The man nodded to her. He had red skin, and a yellow stone in his forehead. His voice was calming, and had a British accent. She smiled back at him.

“Nice to meet you,” she said quietly. “Wanda, I’m hungry,” she repeated. Wanda laughed.

“Well, I suppose we should raid the kitchen then, shouldn’t we?” Adelaide nodded, and Wanda picked her up, swinging her about a little, before walking over to the kitchen. Adelaide laughed as Wanda began to list things under her breath that were edible, but didn’t sound good to either of them. “What about strawberries? Those look good.” Adelaide nodded enthusiastically. That was her favorite fruit. “Alright then. Let’s see if we can find some sugar to dip them in.” After rummaging around the cupboards and pantry, they found a bowl and filled it with powdered sugar and set in on the counter between them. Adelaide sat on the counter, and Wanda stood on the other side of the bowl, the two of them laughing and chatting quietly. 

“What are you two up to?” Clint’s voice asked from the doorway. Adelaide giggled and held out a sugary fruit to him.

“We’re getting a snack,” Wanda said.

“What you’re doing is getting into Tony’s strawberries,” a new voice said. Adelaide looked over and saw a man walk unsteadily into the room, two braces on his legs. She tilted her head at him, then looked to Clint, who was greeting the man.

“Hey, Rhodey. How you doing?”

“Alright, Barton. Good to see you back.”

“Good to be back. How’s the back?”

“Eh, it’s alright. Still hurts a bit, but nothing I can’t handle.” The man sat down on one of the nearby couches and looked over to the girls. “Miss Maximoff,” he said with a nod. “Miss Barnes.” Adelaide hopped off of the counter and padded over to him, reaching a hand out to his braces.

“May I?” she asked quietly.

“Sure, I guess,” he answered. “I’m Rhodey, by the way.”

“I know.” With gentle fingers, she ran her fingers over the metal. She wasn’t aware that as she inspected the braces, the others filtered into the room. Steve, Clint, Scott, Wanda, Sam, Tony, Natasha Rominoff (who Adelaide had only briefly seen once), and Vision all watched her quietly from behind them. Adelaide hummed a song under her breath that her father had sung to her once as she explored the various gears and bars of the braces. Then, her hands went to Rhodey’s legs. The entire group was mesmerized by how gently she moved and how carefully she touched the braces and legs that would no longer work. Her eyes had closed, but a gentle, soothing mint-colored light filtered slowly from her fingertips and into his legs, disappearing beneath the fabric of his pants. Rhodey felt a tingling go from where her hands rested all the way to his back, then what felt like tiny pokes and prods at his spine, as if someone was stitching up a wound. As slowly as it had started, the feeling retreated back down his body and back into her fingers. Adelaide’s eyes opened, and she gave him a small smile, before nodding to him and going back to her spot on the counter. Nobody moved, except for Adelaide, who quite happily munched away on her strawberries.

“Rhodes?” Tony finally asked, breaking the silence.

“I’m fine, Tony.”

“What’d you do, Addie?” Scott asked.

“I fixed him,” she said simply, biting into a fruit.

“You what?” Rhodey and Tony asked.

“I fixed you,” she said to Rhodey. “You don’t need the metal legs anymore.”

“They aren’t legs, Adds,” Clint said. “They’re braces, to help him walk. It’s not like your dad’s arm.”

“He doesn’t need them. I fixed him.” Everyone’s gaze snapped to Rhodey, who looked a bit nervous.

“How do you feel, Colonel?” Sam asked.

“My back doesn’t hurt. Maybe she did fix it.”

“That’s impossible,” Tony said. “The doctor said they couldn’t fix it. How could a child do what they couldn’t?”

“She’s no ordinary girl,” Wanda said. “She’s quite extraordinary. We have all seen her do amazing things in the past few months.”

“Maybe you should try it, Rhodey,” Natasha said. “It won’t hurt anything.”

“Except his back,” Tony said.

“We’re all right here, Tony,” Steve said. “We’ll help him if he needs it.”

“Tony, quit being a mother hen. I’m going to try.”

“You sure, Rhodes?”

“No, but I’m going to do it anyway.” He unhooked the braces from his legs, and put them to the side. Adelaide watched quietly as he looked at her uncertainly before bracing himself on the arms of the chair. With everyone watching nervously, Rhodey lifted himself up and put his feet on the ground, gradually adding more and more of his weight. Then, he was standing on his own, and he wasn’t in any pain. He put one foot out and took a step, then another, then another, until he had crossed the room and was standing in front of Tony, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. “Tony, I’m okay. I can walk.” The room exploded into cheers and congratulations. Suddenly, Adelaide was swept up into a tight hug before being put back down. “Thank you,” Rhodey said. She nodded back. “No, really, thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.” She looked down shyly. After the excitement had calmed down, Clint and Scott stood in front of her as people began to trickle out again.

“We have to go, Adds,” Clint said.

“Our other families are waiting for us,” Scott said. Adelaide nodded.

“Okay. I’ll be good, I promise.”

“We know you will, cupcake,” Scott said, hugging her tightly. “Oh, I’m going to miss you. I’ll bring my little girl over to play with you sometime, alright?”

“Okay, Uncle Scott.”

“You be the best little girl you can be, alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Bye, Ladie.” He kissed her cheek and hugged her once more before stepping back and heading out of the room.

“See you later, Adds.”

“Bye, Uncle Clint.”

“Next month, you, me, and Wanda. Two weeks. My farm. Got it?”

“Okay. I’ll ask Uncle Steve if—”

“No, you’re not. You’re going with me and Wanda whether he says you can or not, understand? You need to be a little girl for a bit, before you’re all grown up. You’re going.”

“Okay, Uncle Clint. I’ll be ready.”

“Good girl. You behave for Uncle Steve, you hear me?”

“Yes, sir.” Clint wrapped her up in a bear hug and set her back down on the counter.

“I’ll see you soon, pumpkin spice.” Adelaide laughed at the strange nickname he had up with for her.

“Bye, Uncle Clint.” He patted her head and left through the same door Scott had. Putting her dishes in the sink (only by standing on her tiptoes and being careful), she padded back down the hall to Uncle Steve’s room, knocking on the door.

“Come in,” he called. She poked her head in and looked around.

“Uncle Steve, are you busy?” she asked.

“No, Addie. Not for you. Come on in.” She shut the door and hopped up on the couch next to Steve, who was clicking through the channels on the television. “What’s up?”

“Uncle Scott and Uncle Clint just left,” she informed him.

“Oh yeah, they told me they were leaving. I don’t blame them. They haven’t seen their families in months.”

“I know. I just thought I’d tell you.” The two were quiet, watching a show that Steve had stopped on. “Uncle Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you heard anything from T’Challa?” Steve sighed.

“No, Addie, I haven’t. Don’t worry. He’ll call if he makes any progress.”

“I miss him.”

“Who?”

“Both of them.”

“I know. I miss them too. They’re family, aren’t they?” She nodded.

“It’s not fair,” she said angrily. “Why’d it have to be him? Why couldn’t it have been some other person?” Steve sighed again.

“I’ve asked myself that a lot, and I still don’t have an answer. I wish I knew, Addie, I wish I knew.” They were quiet again, and Adelaide curled up against Steve’s side, watching the T.V. “You know, he’d be proud of you,” Steve said suddenly. “What you did today was good. Bucky’d be very proud of you.” Adelaide sniffled.

“I miss him,” she said again.

“I know, Addie. I know.”

“What if I’m all grown up before he wakes up?”

“Don’t worry. T’Challa will do everything he can as quickly as he can so Bucky’ll get out of there. We don’t want him to miss you growing up any more than you do. We know how much he loves you. He wouldn’t stop talking about you while we went to Siberia. He was worried about you the whole time. We’re doing everything we can for him; you’ll see him soon.”

“How do you know?”

“I just believe it.” Adelaide thought about it for a minute, then nodded.

“I think you’re right. I believe it too.”


	10. Chapter 10

“Alright, Addie, do it again,” Wanda said, standing behind her.

“I—I don’t know if I can.”

“You’ll get tired sometimes, and right now, that’s okay. You’re only training,” Steve said in understanding. “But when you grow up, and you’re doing this for real, being tired might be the difference in life or death for someone. Get used to it now so you can push past it later.” Adelaide nodded.

“Okay, Uncle Steve. I’ll try.”

“Good girl. Go ahead, Vision!” Instantly, four training holograms appeared around her, courtesy of Tony Stark’s training system. They were all of equal size, but they had various strength levels, and she had to take all of them out, using only her powers. She was much better than she used to be, but not anywhere near Wanda’s level yet. She stared at them with blank eyes, but her mouth was quirked up in a half-smirk that was truly terrifying.

“Davay igrat',” she said with a giggle. Without changing her facial expression, she destroyed the robots or dismantled them quickly, only moving her arms and shifting her weight. They kept coming in waves of four, each at different speeds and difficulties. By the time she reached the tenth wave mark, she was sweating and panting with exertion. (Let’s play.)

“Addie, do you need to stop?” Steve asked. “We can if you need to. You’ve done great.”

“No, Uncle Steve. I’m alright. Just winded.”

“You sure?” Wanda asked. Addie nodded.

“A bit more. I’m fine. Just a little longer. I know when to tap out.”

“Alright. Keep going then,” Steve instructed. By wave twenty, her legs were shaking.

“I’m done, Uncle Steve,” she said, her voice quaking. “I’m done.”

“Stop it, Vis,” Wanda called. The holograms disappeared instantly, and Vision appeared next to them, calmly looking at the three.

“I think you did spectacular, Miss Barnes,” he said. “You have improved substantially.”

“Thank you,” Adelaide answered, letting Steve pick her up and carry her to the bench nearby.

“You did great, Addie,” Steve congratulated. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Yes, that was wonderful,” Wanda said, sitting down next to her and handing her a water. “You’ll be good enough to be an Avenger sooner than you know it.”

“Hey, slow down there, Wanda,” Steve said. “This is to just make sure she can defend herself. No real-life fighting until I say so, you understand me?” The two girls nodded. “You good, Addie?” She nodded.

“I’m okay, Uncle Steve. I can go again tomorrow.”

“Okay, we’ll do that. Bright and early, you hear me?” Adelaide nodded.

“Yes, sir, Captain Rogers, sir!” she said with a giggle, saluting him smartly before hurrying off down the hallway, dragging Wanda behind her. They could hear Steve laughing behind them until they entered the common room, large smiles on their faces. Wanda and Adelaide stopped in their tracks, looking at the new-comer.

“Thor,” Wanda said in greeting.

“Lady Maximoff,” the man replied loudly. Adelaide looked at the man with wide eyes. He was taller than Uncle Steve! He also looked a bit strange. He had the same coloring as Uncle Steve, but he wore strange clothing. Except for the cape. That was cool. “And who is this fair maiden?” he asked in an accented voice, looking down at Adelaide.

“This is Adelaide, Sergeant Barnes’s daughter,” Wanda introduced her. “Addie, this is Thor of Asgard. He’s a friend.”

“Greetings, small lady,” he said with large smile wave. She nodded back at him.

“Hi,” she said shyly, backing behind Wanda.

“She’ll warm up to you, Thor,” Tony said from the kitchen. “She likes me! Then again, who doesn’t?”

“My dad,” Adelaide supplied. Wanda, Thor, and Sam laughed, while Tony look a bit surprised.

“He said that?” Adelaide shook her head, remembering what her dad had said to her.

_ Make me proud, myshka. _

She wasn’t helping anything by saying that. She shut her mouth and looked to the ground.

“Addie?” Sam asked. “What’s wrong?” She shook her head again and let go of Wanda’s hand, going down the hallway to the outside yard. She walked into the forest and climbed a tree, sitting on one of the thicker branches.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said to the air. “I’m not sure I’m making you proud anymore. I miss you so much, and Uncle Steve is doing his best to keep me happy and entertained, but Mr. Stark isn’t exactly nice, and I know what he did to you, even though you couldn’t help what you did to him. You were only trying to keep me safe, I know that now. I’m sorry I’m such a bother. I don’t mean to be. I miss you. I’m trying, I really am. I just don’t know how much longer I can take this. I’ll be fourteen soon, and you’ve been gone for so long. And I haven’t grown much, either. Just—come back soon, please?”

“There you are,” a voice said from the ground. She looked down and saw Clint looking up at her.

“Hi, Uncle Clint,” she said quietly.

“Hey, pumpkin. Room for one more up there?” She nodded. Clint climbed up the tree and sat next to her, swinging his legs back and forth. “”So, whatcha doin’ up here, all by your lonesome? I was expecting a warm welcome, and all I got were sad stares. Wanda said something’s upset you.” She shook her head. “C’mon, you can tell Uncle Clint.” He pulled her against him and held her shoulders. She remained silent. “Why don’t I tell you about my trip home then?” She nodded. So, Clint launched into a detailed story about his return home, and everything that he and his family had done. He told her about his animals, and the tractor that Tony had fixed, and his kids, and the baby, who wasn’t so little anymore, and his wife, and his projects in the house. “I told Laura about you. She really wants to meet my little niece. Lily and Cooper want to have a new playmate, too. I was thinking you, me, and Wanda could head down there this weekend. Whaddya say?” She nodded again. “Great! Well, come on, let’s get out of this tree and go get you packed, okay?” She slid away and jumped out of the tree, landing in a crouch. Clint laughed and landed beside her. “I’m gettin’ too old to go climbing trees. Let’s go, Adds.” Feeling much better, the two went inside, smiling brightly at each other.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Do it again, Addie! You’re doing great!”

“Keep going, Addie!”

“Almost there!” Adelaide spun left and right, destroying hologram after hologram with her little daggers of light. She was a whirl of light and dark, never stopping as she trained, the sound of her family cheering her on.

“And, done! Good job, kid. That’s a new record.” Adelaide made her weapons disappear and turned to face her audience, who was clapping and cheering. She smiled and Steve picked her up and spun her around, laughing.

“That was great, Addie,” he said. “I’m so proud of you. You’re doing so much better than you were.” He put her down, and the others crowded around her.

“I think this calls for some ice cream,” Sam said. Adelaide nodded eagerly and followed her family down the hallways back to the kitchen. Not much had changed for her in the two months she had been at the Avengers Compound. She had only grown about three inches, but she was still tiny for a thirteen year old. She had gotten stronger with her telepathic and telekinetic strength with the help of Wanda and Vision, and Clint, Steve, and Tony had helped her get better with her new-found power of creating objects out of a light she could make appear and disappear at will. Natasha and Clint had tried to teach her hand-to-hand, but they quickly realized that she needed no help in that department. Both of them proudly admitted to being flipped and pinned by a girl less than half their size. T’Challa had only contacted them once in the time she had been there. He and his scientists had perfected a new arm for her father when he woke up, but he didn’t tell them anything about how soon that would be. He talked to Adelaide for a quite a bit after everyone else had left the room. He was like a big brother to her, and he told her stories and jokes, and the two had a great time. Just before he ended the transmission, he gave her a serious look.

“I will return you to your father, Adelaide Barnes. I swear on my name as king of Wakanda, it will happen.” She had shaken her head repeatedly.

“I don’t want you to swear by your title,” she said quietly. “I just want you to do the best you can without hurting him. Just do what you promised. That’s all I want.” He had nodded, then said goodbye before the screen went black.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about over there, squirt?” Tony asked her, breaking her out of her thoughts. Tony had accepted her rather quickly after she had fixed Rhodey’s back. He liked to surprise her with presents and things of that nature, and he let her work with him in his lab on various projects.

“Nothing much, Uncle Tony,” she said. Yes, she had accepted him that much. The man had changed, and she had explained to him everything about her father when he was the Winter Soldier. He had forgiven him, and the two were thick as thieves.

“Well, you better eat your ice cream. It’s gonna melt.” Adelaide scooped out a giant bit of her blueberry ice cream into her mouth and smiled at him. “Much better.”

“Sir, there’s a call for you. It’s urgent,” FRIDAY said.

“Who is it?”

“Privately, Sir.” Tony sighed and walked off, patting Adelaide on the head as he passed. Everyone else finished off their ice cream, and Adelaide headed off to go change out of her training clothes. A knock sounded on her door, and she looked up from where she was pulling off her socks. She hated those things. They made her feet fell claustrophobic.

“Yes?” The door opened, and Natasha’s head poked in.

“Hey, you busy?” She shook her head.

“No, ma’am.” Natasha laughed quietly and came in.

“What’s is going to take to get you to stop saying that to me?” Adelaide shook her head, going into her closet to change.

“It’s how I was raised,” she answered. “You’ll have to deal with it.” Natasha laughed again.

“Alright, missy. Wanda and I were going to go shopping later today. You want to come?” Adelaide poked her head out of the closet.

“Did you ask Uncle Steve if I could go?”

“He said you could if you wanted to. I asked.”

“Yeah, I want to.”

“Well, we’re going to wait for you in the garage. Meet us there when you finish, alright?”

“Okay, Auntie Nat. I’ll be there soon.” Natasha left, and Adelaide hurried to finish changing, eager to go shopping with the only other girls there.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Uncle Clint, you’re back!”

“Hey, pumpkin! Yeah, I’m back. Wasn’t too hard of a mission. In and out in no time. You miss me?”

“Yep!”

“I missed you too. What’d you do while I was gone?”

“Auntie Nat and Wanda took me shopping. I got new clothes.”

“Did you now? Can I see them?”

“No. Auntie Nat said I have to wait and surprise everyone.”

“Did she now? I may have to talk about that to her. Oh, did you get a call from Scott today? He said he was going to call you.”

“No. He probably forgot.”

“You’re probably right. Tell you what. When I’m done talking to Stark, you and I’ll call him and see what he wanted, okay?”

“Okay. Uncle Tony’s in his lab with Uncle Steve right now. They were talking about trying to find someone. Do you know who it is?”

“I might. You wanna come with me?”

“Sure.” Adelaide was hoisted onto Clint’s back and carried down to Tony’s lab, the two of them entering the room with loud laughter.

“Hey, guys,” Clint said, letting Steve pull Adelaide from his back and set her on the work table he was standing next to.

“Glad to see you back, Legolas.”

“How’d the mission go, Clint?”

“Fine. In and out. No problems. Addie said you two were talking about trying to find someone?”

“Yeah.” Tony looked down at the screen he was typing away on and got a somber look on his face.

“Is it someone special to you, Uncle Tony?” Adelaide asked, trying to see the screen from where she was sitting.

“Yeah, kiddo. It is. He’s a good friend. He’s been missing for about a year now.”

“Can I help?” she asked.

“Sure, squirt. I’ll let you know, okay?”

“Okay. I don’t like you being upset, Uncle Tony. You should be happy that all of your other friends are with you, even if one is missing.” Tony huffed and shook his head.

“You’re too smart for me sometimes, Bit. You’re a hard one to figure out.” Adelaide scooted around on the table as the three men talked about different methods of trying to find the missing person and got a look at the screen Tony had been working on.

“I know him!” she said loudly, pointing at the screen. The three men spun to look at her. For one thing, that was the loudest she had ever been.

“What did you say, Addie?” Steve asked.

“I know that guy!” she exclaimed happily, pointing at the picture of a man on the screen.

“How? Where’d did you see him? What did he say? Was he alright? Was he hurt? Did he hurt anyone?” Tony asked questions rapid-fire, and Adelaide giggled.

“Uncle Tony, I can’t talk if you don’t stop speaking.” He got quiet and looked at her eagerly. “I saw him while Daddy and I were in Brazil,” she said. “He took care of me when I got sick. I don’t know if he’s still there, but I’m sure I could find him again now that I can control my powers better.”

“Why didn’t we think of that? Tony, she’s been all over the place with Barnes; she’s the mostly likely of all of us to have seen him,” Clint said. “Could you try, Adds? Do you think you could find him?” Adelaide nodded.

“I can try. I’ll do the best I can.” Tony scooped her up into a tight hug.

“Thank you, Addie. You are a big help.” She smiled and hugged him back.

“Uncle Tony, you have to put me down so I can focus,” she giggled after a moment. He put her back down on the table, and she pulled up her legs to sit cross-legged. She looked at the three men. “It might take a while.”

“We’ll wait,” Steve said. “You want anything for later?”

“Can I have a glass of lemonade? Wanda put some in the fridge earlier.”

“You got it,” he said, heading out the door. Once he was gone, the other two sat down in chairs nearby. She closed her eyes and focused. She had been sitting quietly for about fifteen minutes before she opened her eyes and shook her head multiple times, shaking the stiffness out of her neck.

“Here, Addie.” Steve handed her the glass of lemonade and stood next to her.

“Did you find him?” Tony asked anxiously. She nodded.

“Yes, but he doesn’t want to talk.”

“What do you mean, he doesn’t want to talk? You can talk to him?”

“Sure. It’d be like hearing a voice in your head. I told him I had to tell him something, but he didn’t want to listen. I wasn’t going to force myself on him. I felt like he had a lot going on in his head at the moment. I’ll try again later. I can find him faster now that I have an idea of where he is.”

“Thanks, Addie. It means a lot.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Sir, Miss Maximoff would like for me to tell all of you that she and Vision have finished preparing dinner,” FRIDAY said to them.

“We’ll be there in a minute.”

“Good job, Adds,” Clint said. “Let’s go eat.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Are you busy now?’ Adelaide asked the man quietly as she sat on her bed, the bedside lamp on.

_ Who are you? Why do you keep talking in my head? _ He didn’t sound too happy that she was there.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t want to bother you, but it’s really important.’

_ That doesn’t answer my question. Who are you, and how did you get in my head? _

‘My name is Adelaide Barnes, and I’m a telepath. You took care of me in Brazil.’

_ Why are you looking for me? _

‘My family is trying to find you. Please, will you listen to me?’

_ Fine. What do you want? _

‘There’s something that’s going on that needs your special touch on it, according to Uncle Tony. I don’t know what it is, but it’s really important to him. Please, will you let us come get you?’

_ By ‘special touch’ do you mean the Hulk? _

‘No, the other touch. The reason you’re a doctor. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s enough that Uncle Tony needs to find you quickly. Will you please help us?’

_ Let me think about it. I left for a good reason. _

‘I understand. May I ask you again tomorrow night?’

_ Give me two days, then you can ask. _

‘Okay. Do you mind if I have your name? They won’t tell me.’

_ It’s Bruce. Bruce Banner. _

‘Okay. Goodnight, Mr. Banner.’

_ Goodnight, Miss Barnes. _

_\----------------------------------------------------------------------------_

‘Mr. Banner? Have you decided? Uncle Tony is practically climbing the walls. It’s kind of funny actually.’

_ I’ll come. I’ll meet them in the mountains of Peru. _

‘When?’

_ I’ll be there when they are. _

‘I will tell them. Thank you, Mr. Banner. It’ll make Uncle Tony so happy. He’s been rather upset lately.’

_ You’re welcome, I suppose. Goodbye, Miss Barnes. _

‘Goodbye, Mr. Banner. I hope we meet in person soon.’


	11. Chapter 11

“Adelaide! Where are you?”

“In here, Uncle Scott! What’s wrong?” Adelaide leapt to her feet and met him at the door.

“We need you, right now. It’s urgent.” He picked her up and ran off down the hall, skidding around corners and dodging furniture. They ended up in the med-bay, and he put her down in front of a door. “Tony! Open the door! I have her!” The door clicked, and Scott opened the door, urging her in quickly before closing the door behind them. Adelaide looked around to see Tony, Steve, Clint, and a person she didn’t know in front of her. The stranger was laying on a hospital bed, tied down and hooked up to all kinds of machines.

“What’s wrong with him?” Adelaide asked.

“We were hoping you could figure that out,” Steve said.

“I can try,” she said. Placing her hand gently on the man’s hand, she closed her eyes and allowed her light to flow into the man’s body. She kept her eyes closed and didn’t move for over an hour, only shifting when Steve put her in a chair so she wasn’t standing up for so long. When she finally pulled away, she was shaking and sweating, and her face went pale.

“Adds? What’s wrong?” Clint asked, crouching down next to her. She didn’t even seem to hear him, her eyes staring off into space. “Adds, come on. Answer me.” He laid a hand on her knee, but she didn’t respond. The four men tried to rouse her for a good five minutes before she finally blinked and looked at him.

“Who is he?” she asked lowly, looking at Clint.

“A survivor of a Hydra base,” he answered.

“No. Who is he?” Clint sighed.

“We don’t know. He looks like a dear friend of ours who died. That’s why we needed you.”

“Uncle Clint. Who. Is. He?”

“Pietro Maximoff,” Steve answered. “Wanda’s twin brother.” Adelaide looked over at the man on the table.

“I’m going to need some time alone with him,” she said quietly.

“Why?” Tony asked. Her eyes snapped up to him.

“You say you lost a friend who looked like him, correct? Well, I’m telling you that I need some time to figure out who he is then. I need to focus. He was found in a Hydra base?” The men nodded. She sighed. “Then it is worse than I thought. I’m going to need a few days with him.”

“Addie, we can’t leave you in this room by yourself for a few days.”

“Do you want Wanda to handle this?” Clint immediately shook his head. “Then you have to trust me. Please, Uncle Clint, you brought me here to help. I’m thirteen years old, trained by Hydra for most of my life. I know all of their ins and outs as well as the back of my hand. If anyone is going to help Mr. Maximoff, then it has to be me. Please, go. I’ll be fine. I need to do this by myself. I’ll tell FRIDAY if I need anything, I promise.” Reluctantly, the four of them left her by herself, and she put her hand on Pietro’s hand again, closing her eyes.

‘Can you hear me?’

_ Da. Who are you? _

‘My name is Adelaide. I’m trying to help you.’

_ Where’s Wanda? Where is my sister? _

‘She’s fine. She’s actually out shopping right now. She and a friend are going to get her some new paint for her room.’

_ Prove it. How do I know you are not part of Hydra like the last person in my head? _

‘What would you like me to do to prove it? I used to be part of Hydra, but not by will. My dad worked for them, also not of his own free will.’

_ Who was your dad? _

‘The Winter Soldier.’

_ You are lying. _ Adelaide sighed.

‘I can show you. But it will have to be later. You are too weak for it now.’

_ What do you mean? _

‘You are in the Avengers Compound’s med-bay. You’re in a coma. Uncle Steve, Uncle Clint, Uncle Scott, and Uncle Tony just saved you from a Hydra base.’

_ You know Tony Stark? You’re related to him? _

‘I’m not related to him, exactly. He and the other Avengers have been taking care of me. He’s trying to help fix my dad.’

_ How old are you? You sound so young. _

‘I’m thirteen. I’ll be fourteen next year.’ There was no reply for a minute.

_ I will let you help me. What do you need to do? _

‘We have a lot of work to do, and I have several memories to give you. Everyone thinks that you died in a battle about two years ago.’

_ What? _

‘I promise, I will explain everything to you, but you and I must get to work. This will take a long time. Are you ready?’

_ Yes. _

‘Then let’s get to work.’

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

“FRIDAY, will you give me an update on Pietro’s condition?”

“He is resting comfortably, and all vitals are normal. How are you feeling? Should I call Captain Rogers?”

“No, I’m alright. Tell Uncle Clint to come in. I know he’s sitting by the door.”

“Of course.” Sure enough, Clint entered the room in a few seconds.

“How is he? How are you? Did you find out everything? When will he wake up? Do you need anything? What happ—”

“Uncle Clint, you’re rambling again.”

“I’m sorry, Adds. Tell me everything.”

“I think that we got everything sorted out. He understands everything that happened, and all of his memories and the things that Hydra said and did have been worked through. He should wake up soon.”

“Good. That’s good. I’m proud of you, Adds. You’ve helped so many people. Rhodey, Bruce, and now Pietro. Your dad would be proud of you.” She smiled and nodded.

“Thanks, Uncle Clint. It means a lot to me. If you don’t mind, can I stay here with him until he wakes up? He knows me, and the rest of you might be a bit overwhelming, and I don’t want Wanda to get too worked up.”

“Sure thing, pumpkin. I’m right down the hall if you need anything.”

“I know.” Clint patted the top of her head and left, and Adelaide curled up in the chair, laying her head on the armrest and waiting for Pietro to wake up. What Clint didn’t know, however, was that Adelaide hadn’t exactly told the four of them the whole truth. They thought that their friend had died in the battle against Ultron in Sokovia two years ago. That was only partially true. Hydra, or what remained of it, had managed to get Pietro from the SHIELD carrier and take him back to their base. She just didn’t want them to get upset and blame themselves for letting him get taken back. Pietro understood this, and the two of them had worked out everything and made sure everything was set straight, at least as much as Adelaide knew. Any other questions he had would have to be asked to someone else. It was a lot of work, and both of them were exhausted, but it was worth it. After all, this was their family, and they had to take care of them.


	12. Chapter 12

“Coming through!” a voice yelled, and Adelaide jumped backwards to avoid getting run over by Pietro as he ran by. “Hi, Addie,” he said as he passed.

“Hi!”

“Addie, are you ready to go?” Steve asked. She looked up and smiled.

“Yes, Uncle Steve.”

“Tony and Wanda are waiting for us in the training room. Let’s go.”

“Do you think I’ll make a good Avenger when I get old enough?” Adelaide asked as the two walked down the hallway.

“I think you’ll make a very good Avenger, if any of us ever let you fight.”

“Uncle Steve, you promised!”

“Addie, you know all of us are trying to keep you our little girl for as long as possible.”

“At this rate, I’ll be an old maid before I become an Avenger!”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Addie. We just want you to be safe and get a chance to be a kid.” Adelaide sighed.

“I wanna help you save people, though.”

“I know, Addie. You’re already great at keeping yourself and other safe. We just don’t want you to grow up too fast.” The two entered the training room control area, and Adelaide smiled at Wanda and Tony.

“Ah, there’s she is!” Tony yelled. “America’s sweetheart!” Adelaide laughed while Steve rolled his eyes.

“Why don’t you think Uncle Tony’s funny, Uncle Steve?” Adelaide asked, allowing Wanda to pull her over to the bench she was sitting on.

“Yeah, Capsicle. Why don’t you think I’m funny?” Tony parroted.

“I just didn’t find it funny, Addie. That’s all.”

“He’s a bit old-fashioned, Bit. Nothing to do about it,” Tony sighed. Steve groaned good-naturedly.

“You two should get along better,” Adelaide said, shaking her finger at the two men.

“They’re acting like children, aren’t they?” Wanda asked. The two girls nodded to each other, and Adelaide entered the training room.

“Okay, kiddo. You ready down there?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Alright. You know the drill. Ready? Set? Go!” For the next hour, Adelaide fought of holograms of all kinds and perform various tasks, never stopping for rest. She used both of her powers and fought off those who got to close with her hands. She vaguely registered that Wanda and Steve got called away, leaving Tony the only one watching her, about halfway through her session. He’d bump up the difficulty every so often, giving her warnings before he did so. Finally, the session ended, and the holograms disappeared. She stood where she was, her back to the entrance, but gave Tony a thumbs-up over her head, who returned the gesture with a thumbs-up of his own.

“Nice work, kiddo!” he said over the intercom. Catching her breath, she stood where she was until she heard clapping behind her.

“Good job, Addie,” she heard her Uncle Steve say. She turned around, smile wide on her face, before she froze, her eyes rounding in surprise.

“I don’t look that different, do I? I got a haircut, but that was it.” A wider grin broke out across her face—if that was even possible—and she sprinted across the room, ignoring the protests of her tired legs. She leapt into the newcomer’s arms and held him tightly.

“Daddy!” she said happily, burying her face in his neck as he stood upright, holding her tightly above the floor. She vaguely registered that Steve had left, letting the two to be reunited.

“It’s me, moya dorogaya vozlyublennaya. I’m back.” He held her close to him so tightly that the two were hard to differentiate between which was which. And that was the way they wanted it to be. (my darling sweetheart)

“I’ve missed you,” she said. “I thought you wouldn’t make it back in time.”

“I know, myshka, but I’m here now. Everything’ll be alright. Oh, moye serdtse, I’m so glad to see you again. You haven’t changed at all.” (my heart)

“I grew a few inches,” she corrected him. “And my hair is longer.”

“But you’re still my little girl. My darling kotenok. Did Steve take good care of you?”

“Da, papa. They all did. I made us a new family.”

“I’m glad, myshka. I’m glad that you’ve been happy.”

“I missed you, though. More than anything. I wanted you here so much. I have so much I want to tell you about. I’ve learned so many things, and met so many new people.” Her father turned, still holding her tightly against him, and walked down the hallway, the two of them in their own little world as they made their way through the Avengers headquarters.

“I can’t wait to hear all of it, angel. Tell me everything.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

“—and then Pietro grabbed me and ran out. Uncle Sam wouldn’t talk to us for a week!” Her father laughed loudly, ruffling her hair fondly.

“Sounds like you’ve been a little troublemaker while I’ve been away, haven’t you?’

“Oh no, Daddy. I’ve been good. It was only a few times, I promise. And it was never my idea. I just went along with it.”

“So you’re saying I left my little angel, the light of my world, the reason I live and breathe, in the hands of overgrown children?” Adelaide nodded and giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand. “I might have to speak with them about that.”

“I’m okay, Daddy. I promise. They took great care of me. I had everything I wanted. Except—” Her voice trailed off.

“Except what, myshka?”

“Except you,” she said quietly. “I wanted you there. Uncle Steve tried to help, and I know T’Challa was working as hard as he could, but you missed my thirteenth birthday, and when I learned to ride a bike, and I just wanted you to be there to see it.” Her father sighed and pulled her up into his lap, cradling her in his arms.

“I know, printsessa. I’m sorry I missed it all, but I’m here now. All better, and Hydra’s out of my head for good. And see? T’Challa even gave me a new arm so I can pick you up better.” Adelaide smiled and nodded, running her hand down her father’s left arm.

“It looks so real,” she said. It was true. The only thing that gave it away was the scarring still on his left shoulder, but that was all. Everything about the arm looked completely normal. “Does it feel different?”

“A bit. I can feel things better than I could before. The metal fingers didn’t really have sensors that worked as well as my real hand. Now, I can feel pressure and temperatures and textures better. It’s like I never lost my arm at all.”

“I’m glad. Now you don’t have to wear long sleeves all the time.” Bucky laughed.

“Yeah, that is a good thing.” The two were quiet for a long time before Adelaide yawned loudly. “You tired, zvezdnyy svet?” She nodded a bit and curled into his side more. He began to hum “Moonlight Serenade” quietly under his breath, and she was asleep a few moments later. Bucky gently shifted the two of them underneath the blankets and held her tightly to him, kissing the top of her head lightly. “YA lyublyu tebya, moya malen'kaya lyubimaya devushka. YA vsegda budu zdes' dlya vas. YA vernus' k vam seychas. YA obeshchayu, vy nikogda ne budete skuchat' po mne snova.” With that, he turned off the bedside lamp and kissed his daughter’s forehead one last time. “Goodnight, kotenok. I’ll see you in the morming.” He was asleep within seconds, and all was as it should be in the world, if only for that moment, for father and daughter were happily reunited and slept soundly knowing that they were tighter again, and nothing, and no one, could ever tear them apart again. (I love you, my little darling girl. I'll always be here for you. I'll come back to you now. I promise, you'll never have to miss me again.)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I had this idea right in the middle of the story when I was rewatching Civil War, so this takes place back when they were all first captured, when everyone was in Romania and such! It's way too much work to go back and redo all the chapters, so it's in the middle here...

(See Notes up above for an explanation of this chapter^^^)

Bucky screamed as Adelaide went limp in the man’s arms. “Addie! Addie wake up!” he yelled, trying desperately to break out of his bonds. “Adelaide!”

“She’ll be fine,” the man assured him, laying his daughter down on the ground, out of the way. “Now, I’m sure we won’t have much time, since she has surely alerted Captain Rogers and his friends that I am not who I say I am. Shall we begin?” Bucky strained against the metal holding him down, cursing whoever made this containment cell (Stark). “Zhelaniye,” the man said, and Bucky grunted. “Rzhavvy.” A growl of warning. “Semnadtsat’.”

“Please,” he pleaded, though he knew it would fall on deaf ears. He looked helplessly at his daughter, lying prone on the ground. She had tried to save him, the brave little girl.  _ I’m sorry, kotenok. I’m so sorry. _

“Rassvet. Pech’. Devyat’.” He screamed as his arm shocked him, and he ripped out of the metal bonds, freeing himself and desperately slamming his fist against the glass casing, grunting at the shock that attacked him every time he hit it. “Dobroserdechny. Vozvrashcheniye na rodinu.” The glass started to crack, and Bucky slammed into it harder, adrenaline pulsing through him. If he could get him to stop saying the words, he’d be free. He could take Adelaide and run, run to where no one would ever find them. They’d be safe. With renewed strength, he pounded away, hearing the hinges begin to give.

“No!”

“Odin.” The door started to fall away. Just a bit more. C’mon.

_ You can do it, Daddy! _

“Gruzovoy vagon.” The door flew away, and Bucky’s last sight was Adelaide laying asleep on the ground as the world ripped away from him.

(Longing. Rusted. Seventeen. Daybreak. Furnace. Benign. Homecoming. One. Freight car.)   


\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Winter Soldier stood ramrod straight, staring ahead of him. He wasn’t allowed to look at his superiors. “Soldat?” the man asked. (Soldier.)

“Gotov vypolnit'.” He waited for his orders. (Gotov vypolnit’.)

“Mission report: September 16, 1991.”

“Priobretat' i izvlech'. Zadaniye vypolneno.” The man had many questions. The Soldier answered them without hesitation. It was not his place to wonder why things were; he was there to do a job, and he would complete it. His gaze flicked over once the man’s back was turned, and he saw a little girl on the floor nearby. She looked familiar. Did he know her? Was she the man’s daughter? Why was she on the floor? He noticed that the door of the room had been blown in, and he wondered how that had happened. He stared at the girl curiously. He knew her. How did he know her? (Acquire and extract. Mission complete.) Loud ruckus came from outside the room, and the Soldier look up. Men burst into the room, and he leapt into action. Punch, block, dodge, swing, kick, block, hit, jump. It was a dance to him, one he knew well. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the men were neutralized, and his superior was looking at him proudly.

“Go to the helicopter. Head back to the base.” The Soldier nodded. The man’s back was turned, and he started to leave. Something stopped him. A picture flashed through his mind, a face. It was the girl on the floor, though she looked much younger. She looked up at him, and her mouth was moving, but he couldn’t hear her voice. Trying desperately to read her lips, he barely caught was she was saying.

_ I’ll wait for you to come home. Don’t worry. I’ll be here when you get back.  _ She threw her arms around his neck, and then the picture was gone. Something shot through his chest, and he went back to grab the girl.

“What are you doing? I said go!” the man snapped. Though he feared the repercussions later, he had a fierce need to protect the girl. That’s what it was. The need to protect; the girl was his responsibility. Why was she unconscious? He must have failed. He was going back to the base to be wiped again. That must be it. A flash of fear zinged through him, and he decided right then and there that he wasn’t going back. The girl knew him; she trusted him. They would make it on their own. He refused to forget his mission any more than he already had. Holding the girl carefully in his arm, he left the room, holding her tightly to his side. A blonde man came into the room, and he was merely a distraction, easily taken care of. As was the dark-haired man in glasses and the two women that attacked him. The dark-skinned man was the trouble. He put the girl down in the safety of the stairwell and fought him, throwing and being thrown. He managed the slip away finally, grabbed the girl, and strode up the stairs two at a time. He looked down at the girl in his arms as he climbed, and another picture flashed through his head. Big green eyes looked up at him sleepily, and she kissed his cheek.

_ I love you, Daddy. Goodnight. _

_ Goodnight, kotenok. _

His daughter! That’s who she was! He remembered her! Joy made his heart leap, and a smile spread across his face. His daughter, his little kotenok. He knew who she was. His determination to protect her tripled in strength with the knowledge, and he burst through the door that led to the helicopter with renewed vigor. Hurrying to the helicopter and breaking into it, he made sure that she was secured in his lap as he slammed the door and started up the machine as the door on the roof opened again. The first man he had encountered down in the basement was back, and the Soldier glared. He’d be gone soon. He’d never see the man again. He wasn’t going back to the base; he and his daughter would find somewhere that Hydra could never find them, and they’d live there until the end of their days. Nothing would stop him from protecting her. She was his reason for breathing, he knew that, could feel it in his chest. The plane went airborne, until it jerk sideways. That stupid man was hanging onto it! With a growl, the Soldier swung the helicopter around, going towards the edge. The man skidded along the cement until he went over, grabbing onto the railing along the side of the landing pad and holding the helicopter down with brute strength. When it became apparent that this wasn’t going to work, the Soldier steered the plane the other way, trying to break away. It didn’t go to plan, and the blades smashed against the cement, breaking and flying away. The Soldier growled. He’d have to find another way now! His metal hand burst through the glass and gripped tightly onto the man’s neck. He would suffered for keeping him here. Suddenly, the helicopter slid over the edge, and the Soldier let go of the blonde man to grab onto his daughter, shielding her from the blow of hitting the water with his metal arm as it slammed against the control board. The Soldier looked at his daughter unconscious in his arms one last time before his head connected with the metal bar in the cockpit and he was knocked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, after THAT roller coaster, back to our regularly scheduled program!!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're confused, this takes place after Bucky has come back, like back in chapter 12. Just so everyone gets back on track now! ^_^

Addie looked out the window at the Avengers’ Bunker as it faded in the distance. She let her fingers play with the dog tags she wore around her neck, letting the familiar jingle calm her. She felt a warm hand on her leg and looked over at her dad, who smiled at her calmly. “Don’t worry, myshka, we’ll come back,” he assured her.

“Yeah, Addie,” her uncle said from the driver’s seat. “We’re just moving back to the city for a bit because it’s more convenient for missions, that’s all. Think of it as a winter home, and the compound is our summer home.” That made Adelaide feel much better, and she smiled brightly.

“Okay! I like that idea!” she said happily. The two men chuckled and gave her warm smiles.

“I’m glad you like it, kotenok,” Bucky said, ruffling her hair fondly.

“Daddy!” Addie whined, combing her fingers through her hair to fix it. “Wanda worked hard on that this morning!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, printsessa. I didn’t realize I was touching a masterpiece.” He grinned at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. The three were silent before Steve broke stillness.

“Hey, Buck?”

“Yeah?”

“What do all those things you call Addie mean?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Russian. You do it all the time.”

“My nicknames, Daddy,” Adelaide supplied at her father’s confusion.

“Oh. They’re just little names for her. Didn’t realize I was doing it. Sorry, Stevie.”

“It’s fine. I just wondered what they meant.”

“Addie?” Bucky asked, looking to her for consent.

“He’s family, Daddy. He can know. Besides, you’re not the only one. Everyone else has nicknames for me, too.”

“True. Kotenok is the name I gave her before she told me her real name. It means ‘kitten’. The rest are just little pet names that I came up with over the years. Myshka is ‘little mouse,’ dulka is ‘babydoll,’ and the list just goes from there.”

“Pietro calls her myshka too,” Steve pointed out.

“Yeah. Sokovian and Russian are closely related in origin. The languages are very similar.”

“Plus, he says I eat like a mouse,” Addie supplied, giggling at the look Bucky gave her.

“Is that what he said?” he asked. “He told me it was because you were so small when he first met you.”

“Nuh-uh! I’d grown a bit by then!” Adelaide protested, and the two men laughed at her indignant look.

“Of course, rukavitsy,” Bucky said teasingly, and she pouted, looking out the window silently.

“What was that one?” Steve asked, looking with a grin at the girl’s expression.

“Rukavitsy means ‘mittens,’ and that’s the one nickname she hates. This is what she does every time I use it.” Steve laughed, and the car was silent for several more minutes. When Bucky looked over at his daughter again, she was fast asleep, her head lolled against the door. “She’s asleep,” he said.

“We had a busy morning. She’s probably exhausted.”

“How much farther to Manhattan?”

“A good bit. You can sleep, Buck. I’m good for now. I’ll wake you when I need to swap drivers.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Go ahead.”

“Alright.” Bucky slid down a bit in the seat and was soon asleep.   


\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide looked up at the tall building with wide eyes. She hadn’t seen a building this tall in her entire life! She could feel the knife Natasha gave her rub gently against her ankle as she shifted her weight slightly. While everyone knew that Bucky would rather die than let anything happen to her, the Black Widow told Addie to keep it there until she could get her a smaller knife or an easier place to hide it on trips. One could never be too careful when their father was the Winter Soldier/Avenger. She gripped tightly onto her father’s hand as the group entered the Avengers’ Tower and looked excitedly at the large interior. FRIDAY’s familiar voice greeted them, and Adelaide grinned at Clint, who walked on her other side and held her hand. The two men swung her between them as they walked across the lobby and to the elevators, causing everyone who saw them to laugh or smile happily. Adelaide squealed and held on tightly as she was swung back and forth above the ground. She was returned to her feet once they entered the elevator, and she looked out the window excitedly as the ground became farther and farther away. “Are you excited, Adds?” Clint asked her with a smile.

“Yes, sir!” she said, nodding enthusiastically. I’ve never been this high before!”

“Yes you have, kotenok,” her father said. “You flew on a plane.”

“But that’s a  _ plane _ , Daddy! This is a  _ building _ !”

“There is a difference, Barnes,” Clint said, grinning at the other man. Bucky gave him an exasperated look and turned Adelaide around when the elevator stopped.

“Come on, Addie. The others are waiting for us.” Adelaide took her dad’s hand and followed him into the large room. The sheer amount of windows alone made her gasp in awe. She could see almost all of Manhattan from here!

“Like it, Bit?” a voice asked, and she turned to see Tony smiling at her.

“Uncle Tony!” she exclaimed, going to hug him. “It’s great!” she exclaimed, turning to look back out the windows. “I’ve never seen anything like it before!” Tony practically glowed at the statement and ruffled her hair.

“Glad you like it, kiddo.” Hugs and greetings were exchanged even though Adelaide had seen them only a few hours ago, but she was so excited she hugged them again anyway.

“Thor has just arrived, Mr. Stark,” FRIDAY’s voice interrupted the “reunion.”

“He coming down?”

“He is on his way now.” Sure enough, the Asgardian entered the room from the elevator not a minute later.

“Greetings, fellow Avengers! And hello, Lady Barnes,” he greeted loudly, smiling down at Adelaide, who giggled and waved. She hadn’t had much of a chance to speak to the thunderer, but that would probably change soon. She did like him, though; he was quite humorous, in her opinion.

“Sergeant Barnes, it is good to see you up and about,” Thor said to Bucky. “We have not had the chance to be properly introduced. I am Thor Odinson of Asgard. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The two shook hands, and her father smiled at the man.

“Same to you.”

“Hey, Adds, come look at this,” Clint called from across the room. Adelaide left her dad to talk to the others and went up two levels to where Clint, Wanda, Pietro, and Natasha were. “We thought you’d like to see this,” he explained, pointing out the window to where the Statue of Liberty was visible in the distance. Her eyes widened.

“Can we go there, Uncle Clint?” she asked excitedly.

“Sure thing, cupcake. We’ll see if the others want to go later tomorrow after we’re all settled, alright?”

“I could take her there now,” Pietro said, looking at her with a grin. Addie giggled. She’d only gone anywhere with Pietro twice, and she loved any opportunity to go that fast again. Something told her that her dad would want her to wait for him this time around.

“I think I want Daddy to come too, Pietro,” she said. “I’ve never been here before, and he grew up here. I wanna go places with him and Uncle Steve before we go speeding around. Maybe later, though.”

“Sure thing, myshka,” he said, ruffling her hair before speeding off, most likely to his room. Wanda shook her head and went after him, kissing Adelaide’s head as she passed.

“We’ll get a snack at the café down the street later, okay?” she said to her, and Adelaide nodded excitedly. This move was going to be fun!

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide shrieked loudly as she was grabbed from behind and slung over someone’s shoulder.

“Let me go!” she yelled, hitting their back ferociously. That was quickly put to an end when the person started spinning around, and she was forced to hold on to their waist to keep from falling off. “Uncle Steve, put me down!” she exclaimed, trying to talk through her laughter. He kept spinning. “ _ Uncle Steve! _ ” He pulled her back over his shoulder and held her to his hip, even though she was getting much too big for that. She’d finally hit a growth spurt (a big one at that) and was up to Bucky’s hip. Oh, but that never stopped anyone from picking her up or patting her on the head, or anything like that.“How are your studies going, ladybug?” he asked, tickling her side.

“ _ Uncle Steve! _ ” she cried, shrieking and wriggling frantically to get away. Bucky and Clint came skidding around the corner, but both dissolved into laughter at the sight before them.

“Mother of all that’s holy, Steve, you gave me a heart attack!” Bucky said once he caught his breath.

“Old age finally catching up to you, Popsicle #2?” Tony asked as he walked by. Clint snorted, and Bucky glared as he passed.

“Sorry, Buck,” Steve apologized. “We were just playing.”   
  


“Daddy, save me! Uncle Steve’s being mean!” Adelaide cried, holding out her arms for him. Bucky came and took her, “protecting her” from Steve’s tickling.   
  


“I’m sorry, myshka. I’ll get him back later when we spar.”   
  


“Oh, now you’ve done it,” Clint said.   
  


“What were you doing before Stevie attacked you, printsessa?” Bucky asked.   
  


“I was  _ trying _ to finish my math homework!” she answered, looking pointedly at Steve, who meekly ducked his head.   
  


“Sorry, ladybug,” he said. “I’ll let you finish it.”   
  


“It’s okay, Uncle Steve,” she said, wriggling to be put down. She hugged Steve’s waist once she was on the floor, then sat back down at her desk, starting back on her work.   
  


“What are you working on over here anyway, angel cake?” Clint asked, looking over her shoulder.   
  


“Pepper wants me to finish this worksheet for her,” she answered. Clint looked closer at the math, his jaw dropping.   
  


“Cooper hasn’t even gotten to this yet!” he exclaimed in surprise.   
  


“Hydra did teach me things other than fighting, Uncle Clint,” she replied calmly.   
  


“Pepper’s helping her get her high school diploma,” Tony said as he walked by again.   
  


“And nobody thought to tell me?” Bucky shouted back.   
  


“You were out with Capsicle!”   
  


“I was going to tell you yesterday, Daddy, but you were tired and went to sleep before I could, and you went on your run with Uncle Steve and Uncle Sam before I woke up this morning.”   
  


“Okay, dulka. I see. Well, I’m proud of you. You gonna try college next?”   
  


“I don’t know yet. This is all rather easy,” Adelaide replied.   
  


“Tell Cooper that,” Clint mumbled. “He complains over long division.”   
  


“ _ Everyone _ complains over long division, Uncle Clint,” Adelaide replied.   
  


“Even  _ Steve _ complained over long division, and that was back in the thirties!” Bucky added.   
  


“In my defense, my math homework kept getting ruined in puddles,” Steve said.   
  


“That’s because you were a little punk who always dropped his books in puddles before getting into fights,” Bucky shot back. Steve rolled his eyes while Adelaide giggled. Clint shook his head and walked out, saying something about getting out before the jokes started flying. Adelaide followed him, her books in hand as the two men traded the same old “insults” that they had been using since their youth, and she sat in the lab with Bruce to finish her math, occasionally stopping to ask him to check her work.


	15. Chapter 15

“Addie!” a small voice said happily, and Adelaide opened up her arms to greet little Nathaniel in a tight hug. He was her littlest cousin, and so cute, having just turned one and a half. Lily and Cooper ran to greet their dad, who was swinging Lily around in the air, but Nathaniel always came to her first.   
  


“Hello, Nathan,” she said in greeting. She was the only one that called him that, for some strange reason, but it made it their special thing, so she didn’t mind. “How’s my favorite cousin?”   
  


“Good!” he replied, giving her a toothy grin. “Dada home!” Oh, his half-sentences were one of her joys in life.   
  


“I know! Want to go see him?”   
  


“Uh-huh!” She picked him up and walked over.   
  


“Look, Nathan!”   
  


“Hey, little buddy!” Clint said, leaning over to grab his son from her. “Oh, I missed you!” He hugged Nathaniel tightly, and Lily greeted Adelaide with a smile and a hug.   
  


“Hi, Addie,” she greeted. While she and Cooper were closer in age, Lily and Adelaide got along wonderfully. They were instant friends from the moment they met, despite their conflicting interests. Lily was definitely Daddy’s little princess, while Addie was more rough-and-tumble, but the two shared a love for books, and often spent hours talking about them. She and Cooper, on the other hand, shared of love of games and such. It didn’t matter the kind—video, board, card—they played all the time. There was a strict rule in place, however—no chess. It took about three games of her solidly beating him in under fifteen minutes for that rule to be made, but it was accepted, and the two were better for it. Speaking of, Cooper gave her a smile and a wave before picking Nathaniel up to go back inside. Adelaide slipped a hand into her father’s larger one and led him up the walkway to the porch of Clint’s house. His wife Laura was standing in the doorway, watching the reunion with a smile on her face. Lily was pulling Wanda along, eager to show her the latest drawing on the refrigerator, and Clint was following behind the group, hauling his bag.   
  


“You’ll like it here, Daddy,” Adelaide informed him. “There’s lots to do, and Uncle Clint’s still remodeling the dining room, so he’ll need some help, because last time Aunt Laura nearly killed him for breaking the floor.”   
  


“Oh, did he?” Bucky asked, looking back over his shoulder and Clint, who shot Adelaide a look.   
  


“Traitor,” he said, but they all knew he didn’t mean it.   
  


“You didn’t tell me to keep it a secret,” Adelaide replied, shrugged her shoulders innocently. She leaped up the steps to hug Laura, who smiled at her fondly.   
  


“Hello again, Addie,” the woman greeted. “It’s nice to see you.”   
  


“Hi, Aunt Laura. This is my dad, Bucky,” she introduced. “Daddy, this is Aunt Laura.” She ducked from under her dad’s arm around her shoulders to help Clint drag the heavy bags up the front steps. She took her bag and her father’s and led him inside while Clint greeted his wife. 

“We stay up here, Daddy,” she said.   
  


“You seem to know your way around here pretty well, myshka,” Bucky said. Adelaide nodded as she walked up the stairs.   
  


“I’ve been here a lot,” she said. “Uncle Clint brought me and Wanda here a bunch while you were asleep. Plus, it’s a pretty small house.”   
  


“I suppose it is, but don’t let Clint here you say that.”   
  


“Oh, he knows. He’s planning on building an extension to it, and I told him that he’d better get you and Uncle Steve out here if he wants to do that, because he’ll need some help.”   
  


“Keep him in line, do ya prinsessa?”   
  


“I try. Here, Daddy. This is our room,” she said, pushing open a door and stepping [inside](https://www.digsdigs.com/photos/cozy-rustic-bedroom-designs-19-554x412.jpg).

When she had started coming over more often, Clint had converted the attic space into a bedroom for her, and she loved it. She could hear if someone shouted for her, and she could have space to herself when she needed it. She loved it.   
  


“Wow, this is nice, kotenok,” he said as he entered.   
  


“Yep.”   
  


“Addie, we have cookies!” Lily’s voice called from downstairs.   
  


“Coming!”   
  


“Better hurry! Cooper’s already here!”   
  


“Cooper Barton, you better save me some!” she yelled, ducking around her dad and down the stairs. Bucky laughed and shook his head as he followed her back down the stairs. Yeah, it was a good idea to come here.  


\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“B6.”   
  


“Miss. C9.”   
  


“Miss.”   
  


“C6.”   
  


“Hit. Dang it, Addie!” Cooper said in annoyance. “How are you so good at this?” Adelaide shrugged as she placed a red marker on her board.   
  


“I dunno. You’re turn.”   
  


“D5.”   
  


“Hit. Yay, Coop!” He rolled his eyes.   
  


“Third hit of the game, and you’ve already sunk two of my ships. Just go.” She heard their parents laughing as they watched the two of them play their second game of the evening. Lily and Wanda were drawing at the kitchen table while Cooper and Addie sat on the floor in the living room playing Battleship. Their parents were talking around them while Laura played with Nathaniel, but they were watching the oldest children play and banter happily.   
  


“Okay. D6.”   
  


“Hit. Sink. I hate you.”   
  


“I know.”   
  


“B7.”   
  


“Hit. Coop, that’s two in a row! Aren’t you happy?”   
  


“Stop. You’re not funny.”   
  


“What are you talking about? I’m hilarious!” Cooper rolled his eyes again. Fifteen minutes later, Adelaide reigned victorious, and the children were being herded up to bed. Adelaide climbed into the bed, snuggling under the soft blankets happily.   
  


“Goodnight, Adds!” Clint called upstairs.   
  


“Night, Uncle Clint!” Bucky walked up the stairs and closed the door behind him, changing into his sleeping pants while Adelaide burrowed deeper into the covers. She was comfortable when her dad climbed in on the other side of her and let in all the cold air. “Ah! Daddy!” she yelped, curling in on herself to save her warmth.   
  


“I’m sorry, myshka, but I had to get in somehow.” He made it up to her by pulling her into his chest and holding her there to let her soak up his warmth. “Better?” She nodded.   
  


“Much.”   
  


“Good.” He kissed the top of her head and turned off the lamp beside the bed. “Sweet dreams, Addie.” She kissed his cheek and snuggled back down.   
  


“Night, Daddy. Love you.”

  
“I love you too, kotenok.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Done!” Addie said loudly, slamming her pencil down. Tony cursed under his breath and stopped writing.   
  


“That’s it,” he said, standing up. “I’m never doing this with you again.”   
  


“But Uncle Tony—”   
  


“Don’t ‘Uncle Tony’ me, young lady! You’ve beaten me for the last time!”   
  


“But you  _ promised _ !”   
  


“Yes, well, that was before you finished solving your Calculus questions in under ten minutes. I’m done.” Adelaide looked at him with puppy dog eyes, which really had no right being on a sixteen year-olds face, but she was darn good at them. Tony shook his head and turned around. 

“No, I am not caving this time! The puppy eyes won’t work on me!” She sighed and stood up, her boots making barely any noise on the tiled floor.   
  


“Okay, Uncle Tony. Uncle Clint, Uncle Scott, Wanda, Pietro and I are going to the park to hear a live band today. We’ll be back sometime later this afternoon. See you later.” She left the room feeling slightly upset. Tony was the only one who could even keep up with her when it came to maths, and if he was done trying to race her, she’d have to go against Vision, and that was never any fun. Knowing her Uncle Tony, however, he’d either give in and keep racing her or come up with a computer program that wouldn’t work instantaneously and give her some competition. Her dad said her brain must be powered by lightning, because she acted faster than everyone except Pietro, but he had superpowers, so it was cheating to consider him. She grabbed her favorite jacket from her room and went down to meet everyone in the common room.   
  


“There you are, Adds!” Clint greeted her.   
  


“Ready to go, Adds?” Scott asked.   
  


“Yep! I have everything!”   
  


“Does Barnes know you are going with us?” Wanda asked, raising an eyebrow. It’d only happened once, and Adelaide had completely forgot to tell Bucky that she and Pietro were going to Florida for a day at the beach, and her father had nearly torn the Tower and the surrounding area apart looking for her. Yeah, she hadn’t been allowed out of his sight for two weeks after that. It was purely accidental, and it had never happened again, but no one let her live it down.   
  


“Yes, Wanda, Daddy knows I’m going to Central Park to see a live band with all of you, and he knows I won’t be back ‘til later. And I just told Uncle Tony, plus I sent Uncle Steve a text. He’ll know I’m not MIA again.”   
  


“Once is all it takes, eh myshka?” Pietro asked, a teasing grin on his face. He’d taken up that particular nickname from her father, and it’d become a part of their daily banter.   
  


“I still blame you for that. You were so excited I forgot to tell him,” she said as they entered the elevator.   
  


“I will accept that.”   
  


“I set him straight, Addie,” Wanda assured her. “He will be much more patient in the future.” The group exited the elevator and climbed into one of Tony’s cars that was more conspicuous, Clint putting the car in gear and driving off.   
  


“I’m not really that upset at you, Pietro,” Adelaide said to the speedster. “I know everything seems so slow to you, and you just wanted to go.”   
  


“I know, myshka,” he said, ruffling her hair. “But I am trying to be more patient.” The group talked back and forth while Clint drove and found a place to park near Central Park. Climbing out and working their way across the street to the park entrance, Adelaide was giddy with happiness. She was very excited. She’d never seen a live band before, and it was just a cover band, but she was eager to see what they sounded like. The group found a spot near where the group would be performing and sat down. Clint climbed the tree and sat on a low branch, while Scott and Wanda laid out a blanket and a chair. Scott claimed the chair, and Wanda sat on one corner of the blanket, leaning against the tree. Pietro sprawled out on the rest of the blanket, and Adelaide landed on his abdomen, sending the air out of him with a whoosh. “You’re getting heavy, myshka,” he said, looking down where she was using his stomach as a pillow.   
  


“Well, that’s what you get for taking up all of the blanket,” she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. The band was queuing up their instruments, and Adelaide sat up eagerly. She heard her family laughing quietly at her excitement, but she didn’t care. The lead singer introduced them, then they launched into their first [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvEZUbzqqyM&list=PLlQQii-HQ9QHeYw_kmWEnWryCnrz0cX8p&index=2) of the night. There wasn’t a large crowd, but people passing by would stop and listen for a bit before continuing on.  


The song ended, and the people around clapped for the band, who waved and smiled before continuing on to the next [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNFw0WKrwPE&list=PLlQQii-HQ9QHeYw_kmWEnWryCnrz0cX8p&index=5).  


The next song received the same response, and Adelaide shot her family members a wide grin, mouthing a thank you to her Uncle Scott, who had found out about this performance. He smiled back at her and squeezed her shoulders fondly. The band played a few more songs, and the lead singer talked a bit and interacted with the crowd gathered there before announcing their last two songs of the night. Adelaide was using Pietro’s stomach as a pillow and looking up at the stars overhead as the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC4Gyv-zGcg) played. Wanda was curled up on his other side, her head resting on his shoulder, and Clint had taken up her previous spot at the base of the tree. Scott hadn’t moved from the chair, and it was looking like he wasn’t planning on it anytime soon.

She felt someone sit down next to her, and she looked up to see who it was. She nearly squealed and jumped up, hugging her dad around the neck and squeezing tightly. “Hi! What are you doing here?” she asked, pulling back to look at him. “I thought you were spending the day with Uncle Steve.”   
  


“I did,” Bucky replied, “but I wanted to come spend time with my daughter.”   
  


“Daddy, I’ve only been here a few hours.”   
  


“What? I’m not allowed to miss my little kotenok?”   
  


“It’s not that, Daddy, you know that. I missed you too.” Bucky pulled her into his lap, and she sat there as the band launched into its final [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHb3ifcEE7o&index=23&list=LLMOeIROHfm4PF3uGlHUwuPA) of the night.

The song ended, and the crowd stood to give a standing ovation to the band, who bowed and waved, smiles across their faces. Adelaide stood and clapped and cheered, and Clint whistled loudly. The group stood under the tree as the crowd began to disperse, and Adelaide helped Pietro to his feet with a strong pull. Once the area was a bit quieter, they walked over to the large fountain nearby and sat, letting Wanda and Adelaide throw pennies into it for the sheer fun of it. Then, they made sure everything was all packed up and started back towards Tony’s car. “You guys go on,” Bucky said. “Addie and I will be along in a minute.”   
  


“Sure thing, Barnes,” Clint said. “See you back at the Tower.” The others said their goodbyes and headed off.   
  


“What’s wrong, Daddy?”   
  


“Nothing, printsessa. I just wanted to spend time with you.” The park was darker now, but there was still enough light to see. Plus, Avengers’ Tower was visible from where they were, so they wouldn’t get lost even in worst-case scenarios. The two walked over to the lake and stood on the shore, looking at the sunset reflected in the water. “Myshka, I’m very proud of you,” he said suddenly, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him.   
  


“For what?”   
  


“Being a strong girl, not giving up. Being kind. Finishing school faster than anyone I’ve ever known. Using your powers for good. All of it. I’m proud of my little girl.”   
  


“Daddy, I’m almost sixteen.”   
  


“Hush. You’ll always be my little kotenok. No matter how old you get.”   
  


“Even when I’m as old as you and Uncle Steve?”   
  


“Even then. I promise.” She smiled and kissed his cheek.   
  


“Okay, Papa. I love you, and I understand. I’ll always be your little girl, even when I can flip you in under five minutes.”   
  


“Oh, I’d like to see you try, rukavitsy.” She glared at him, and he burst into laughter, the sound of it echoing through the air. He pulled her after him as he walked toward the Tower, smiling and ruffling her hair fondly.


	16. Chapter 16

Adelaide giggled as she tapped away on her phone, in her own little world. Clint and Wanda watched her with smiles on their faces, but neither asked what she was doing. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she tore off down the hallway, yelling for Natasha. Clint and Wanda looked at each other in confusion. What was their little girl up to now?   


\---------------------------------------------------------------------

“Auntie Nat! Auntie Nat!” Addie called, running towards the training room. She burst in, looking around for the Russian. She didn’t find her, but she did find Sam and Scott, who were sparring on the mat.

“What’s up, Ladie?” Scott asked, panting slightly.   
  


“Where’s Auntie Nat?” Adelaide asked.   
  


“Don’t know,” Sam grunted as Scott landed a punch on his chest. “Try her room.”   
  


“Or the communications room,” Scott suggested. Adelaide nodded and took off again. She finally found the redhead on the roof, enjoying the sun.   
  


“Auntie Nat!” Adelaide exclaimed. The woman turned around and looked at her in surprise.   
  


“What’s wrong, Addie?” she asked. The ex-assassin looked at the teenager in concern. She’d sprouted in the last few months, and the seventeen-year-old was almost as tall as her father, only about two inches shorter at 5’8”. The girl was currently panting and had wide eyes, her phone that had been souped up by Tony for a birthday present clutched tightly in her hand.   
  


“I need your help, and you can’t tell anybody!”   
  


“Anybody?” Natasha asked.   
  


“Anybody, not even Uncle Clint. Or Wanda. Nobody!” This had to be serious. Even though she talked to her dad all the time and told him most of what was going on in her life, Clint, Wanda, and herself were Adelaide’s confidants. They knew everything about the girl. “Auntie Nat, you have to promise!”   
  


“Okay, I promise. What’s up?”   
  


“No, not here. FRIDAY is a tattle-tale. She’ll tell Uncle Tony.” Natasha conceded on that point. The AI was always listening and told its maker everything going on in the Tower.   
  


“Alright. Then where?”   
  


“I’ll text you.” With that, Adelaide spun around and ran back inside. She took off to her [room](https://deavita.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/teen-bedroom-design-ideas-modern-teen-desk-ideas-wall-beook-shelves.jpg) and jumped onto her bed, tapping out a message to her aunt before putting shoes on and bolting back out into the hallway.  She met her dad in the common area, who smiled and hugged her.   
  


“Where’re you off to in a hurry?” he asked, giving her a curious look.   
  


“Places,” she said vaguely, but there was a teasing lilt in her voice.   
  


“Oh? And who’s going with you to these places?” he pushed, ever the over-protective father.   
  


“Auntie Nat. I’m meeting her there because she had to get ready. Don’t worry, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek and ducked out of his arms, waving as she entered the elevator. Once in the lobby, she walked out, tapping away on her phone again and leaving, catching a taxi outside the building. She got out at the desired meeting place and went inside to get a place to sit down and wait for Natasha to get there.

She found a table in the corner of the balcony that was out of the way and somewhat secluded and sat down. The smell of old books always calmed her down. Her father and Uncle Steve had brought her here when they first got back to NYC, telling her that this bookstore had been around since the 40s, and they’d come here all the time, then and now. She’d fallen in love with the place and knew all of the workers by name. The elderly owner named Richard was her favorite. He was old enough to remember stories of Captain America and the Howling Commandos, but he never got star-struck. He accepted the two men as old friends and fellow soldiers and started treating Adelaide like his own granddaughter. He always had something to give her, and he’d pat her hand as he pressed a twenty into it or a book he thought she’d like and say,   
  


“You take care of your daddy, little lady. He needs a sweet little thing like you after all he’s been through.” She’d smile and promise that she would and go on about her day. Richard wasn’t working today, but she nodded to his daughter Gladys all the same. Finally, Natasha walked up to her and sat down, looking at her with worry.   
  


“Okay, what’s so secretive that you can’t talk about it at the Tower?” Adelaide knew no one was here, and that she could trust Natasha, but she still looked around to make sure no one was within hearing distance. This was a time-sensitive and dangerous topic.   
  


“You promise you won’t tell anyone?” she asked.   
  


“I promise, Addie,” Natasha said seriously. Adelaide nodded.   
  


“Okay. I’ve made a few friends since coming to this bookstore and the little dime-store down the street.” Natasha nodded at the pause. She was following the conversation. “I got their numbers, and I’ve been talking to them and hanging out with them every-so-often when I could. I promise, we aren’t doing anything bad or something like that. We went bowling last Saturday, and then shopping at the mall Wednesday.” Natasha’s eyes widened. She hadn’t even known about this.   
  


“Why didn’t you tell us you were making friends?” she asked, trying to understand.   
  


“It’s not that I didn’t tell you. All of you have just been so busy lately, helping Uncle Scott get settled into the Tower and everything, that I haven’t had a chance.” Natasha gently squeezed the girl’s hand.   
  


“Addie, you know we’ll always make time for you. You’re our little girl. We want to hear about your friends and the things you do with them. It’s what a family does.” Adelaide nodded.   
  


“I know, and I was going to tell you, but this thing came up, and I’m not sure what to do.”   
  


“Okay, I’m listening.”   
  


“So, there’s five of us in my group of friends: Lilly, Vincent, Killian, and Rachel. We’ve been hanging out and talking a lot, and it’s been really fun. Well, Vincent and I have been talking a lot more than the other three, but most of them are on spring break right now from school. I’m not in school anymore, and Vincent is homeschooled, so we’ve been talking about hanging out or him coming to meet all of you because I hated not telling everyone about my friends.” Natasha nodded and encouraged her to keep going with a nod. “Well, he sent me this message earlier.” She slid her phone across the table to Natasha and waited anxiously as she read it. She panicked when she saw the look on her aunt’s face. “Auntie Nat, don’t do it!” she yelped.   
  


“Don’t do what?” Natasha asked innocently.   
  


“Don’t go do a background check on him or whatever it was you were thinking about doing! He’s told me about his life, and I’ve met his mom, and the story checks out, I promise. You raised me right. I did my homework before hanging out with these guys. They’re all fine, good people. So, please don’t?” Natasha sighed and looked at the teenager in front of her. She’d grown up so much. She wasn’t a little girl anymore, and she was going about things in a safe way like all of them had taught her. She knew that she always had a knife on her person and could easily throw a man three times her size across the room. As much as she wanted to, Natasha knew that she shouldn’t coddle her and be a crazy aunt, but support her little niece’s decisions.   
  


“Okay, I won’t. I trust you, Addie. So, what do you need my help with?”   
  


“You read the text. Vincent wants me to go to the movies with him next Friday night.”   
  


“And?”   
  


“It’s a date, Auntie Nat! I don’t know anything about those! What do I do?”   
  


“Well, first of all, you should calm down.” Adelaide was clearly freaking out. “Deep breaths, Addie.” Once the girl calmed down, Natasha took both of her hands in her own. “Now, the next thing you need to do is tell the others. They deserve to know, and your friend is going to have to get the third-degree sometime. I trust you, Addie, but your father needs to know about this. You never could hide anything really well, and this is no exception.” Adelaide sighed and nodded.   
  


“I know. But he’s going to freak out, I just know it! And Vincent’s a great guy, Auntie Nat. I really like him, but I’m afraid Daddy’s going to scare him off.” Natasha sighed. It was a valid point.   
  


“Tell you what. I’ll back you up when you tell the boys, and I’ll keep Bucky in heel when your friend comes over, okay?”   
  


“Would you?” Adelaide asked in relief. “That’d be great!”   
  


“Sure. But we need to let Wanda in on this first.”   
  


“Why?”   
  


“We need to get you an outfit, girl! You’re going on your first date!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Okay, Addie, everybody’s here,” Natasha said, sitting down next to Clint and Scott. Adelaide stood nervously in front of her family, all of their eyes watching her. She’d been in many terrifying positions in her life, but she was ready to bolt at any second. She glanced over at Wanda, who gave her a small smile.   
  


_ Don’t be scared, Addie _ , she said gently inside her head.  _ Everything’ll be fine. _ Adelaide took a deep breath and calmed her racing heart as best she could.   
  


“I have to tell all of you something,” she said, “and you have to promise me before you start that you won’t overreact or do anything until I’m done.” Everyone nodded their consent, and she took another deep breath. “I don’t want you to think that I’ve been hiding this from you, but you’ve all been so busy helping Uncle Scott move in that I haven’t had the chance to tell you.” She paused, gathering her nerves. She felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest!   
  


“What is it, Addie?” Steve asked, giving her an encouraging nod to continue.   
  


“I’ve made some friends,” she began. “They all work at the library or the dime-store three blocks down. I know all of their parents and siblings because all of them work there, and we’ve been meeting for the past few weeks to go places. I promise that I’ve always had my knife with me, and it was always really public places where nothing could ever happen that I couldn’t already handle.”   
  


“That’s great, Ladie,” Scott said. “It’s good that you’ve made some friends your age.” Adelaide smiled a bit, but she didn’t relax.   
  


“There’s more, isn’t there?” Sam asked. Addie nodded slightly.   
  


“There’s a boy,” she said simply, and she watched most of the men’s faces blank. She actually felt like her heart stopped for a moment, and she looked to Wanda and Natasha in a panic.   
  


_ Tell them the rest,  _ Wanda urged her. Adelaide waved her hands a bit, and all of the eyes snapped back to her. She didn’t dare to even look at her father, choosing instead to look at Pietro and Bruce, who seemed the calmest about the news.   
  


“His name is Vincent, and he’s a very nice boy, and he’s asked me to go to the movies with him this Friday to see the reshowing of  _ The Princess Bride _ . I told him yes.”   
  


“You what?” Bucky asked, and Adelaide flinched a tiny bit. She slowly turned her face to meet her dad’s eyes, and he looked like he was caught between being angry and shocked, and he kept going back and forth between the two emotions.   
  


“Here,” Adelaide said, pulling a manila envelope off of the table nearby and handing it to him. Steve, Tony, and Clint all crowded around Bucky as he opened in. “That’s everything I could find on him: birth certificate, current address, Social Security number, past jobs, everything. If you want DNA and blood type, it’s in the part labeled ‘Health.’ He’s good, Daddy. I checked him out, and Auntie Natasha checked it all out for me.” Bucky looked positively thunderstruck. The four men read over the files, passing them around their little group. Scott and Bruce stood up, patting her shoulder or head before they left to go back to their lives.   
  


“I’m happy for you, Ladie,” Scott said. “He seems like a good guy. Seen him in the dime-store a few times.” She smiled and nodded.   
  


“Thanks, Uncle Scott.”   
  


“Sure thing, sugarplum. I’m going to go to bed. See ya in the morning.” Scott left. Pietro ruffled her hair and bolted off, saying something about going for a run. Natasha and Wanda stayed behind to be the buffer for the inevitable explosion that was going to come, and Vision merely stayed because he had nothing better to do. Sam wandered off to go do something, but he gave her a smile as he left, winking as well as he turned the corner. So, she had half of her family on her side. This was better than she thought it would be. She sat down Bruce’s recently-vacated armchair and waiting anxiously for everyone else to catch up.   
  


“Which theater is he taking you to?” Tony asked.   
  


“The small one about eight blocks east of Brooklyn. It’s called Premium Matinee,” she answered. Steve’s eyes widened in recognition.   
  


“I know that place,” he said. “That theater was running when we were still kids, Buck!” Her father grunted, reading through another paper.   
  


“Yeah, Vincent heard about it from me talking to him.”   
  


“Do your friends know who your family is?” Clint asked.   
  


“I’ve told them a bit of general information, but not too much. They know it’s big, and I’m the fifth youngest.”   
  


“Who are the others?” Tony asked.   
  


“Cooper, Lily, Nathaniel, and Cassie,” Adelaide replied. “I haven’t told them that I live in Avengers’ Tower and my uncle is Iron Man and my dad is the ex-Winter Soldier.”   
  


“Still am, technically,” Bucky grumbled, glancing up at her. Oh, no. This was bad. She’d seen that look before. Oh, this was going to go downhill really fast. Ooh, this was going to be ugly.   
  


“But my friends don’t know that!” she exclaimed. “I haven’t told them anything. I told them I have a big family with a lot of uncles and a few cousins and some older siblings, but that’s it, I promise! They don’t know anything about any of you!”   
  


“When were you planning on telling us about this?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. Oh, this was going to be so, so bad.   
  


“I was going to tell you a month ago when I first started hanging out with them, but then there was a mission that all of you had to go on. When you got back, all of you were tired, and I let you sleep. Then, Uncle Scott said he was going to move in, and everyone scrambled to make sure that he knew where everything was and where his room was and that it was clean and helped him pack and move, and you were too busy. Then, once that was finished, you were too tired again! I told FRIDAY to tell all of you, but everyone was so busy that apparently no one paid attention to our friendly neighborhood AI. I tried to tell you so many times, but if I had waited to get your approval beforehand, I wouldn’t have any friends right now!”   
  


“Bring them over, Addie,” Tony said suddenly, and Bucky’s head turned to face him so fast that Adelaide was momentarily concerned that he’d give himself whiplash. “It’s only what, Monday? Have them over Wednesday. We’ll meet them; they’ll meet us, and if we approve, you can go on the date, okay?” Adelaide sighed and nodded. That was the best she was going to get at the moment. Her dad was getting ready to blow a gasket, it looked like. She made a mental note to be ready to get FRIDAY ready with the sprinkler system, because she was pretty sure that James Barnes was going to burst into flames at any given second.   
  


“Are you sure, Uncle Tony?” she asked, pointedly looking away from her father.   
  


“Sure thing, Bit. We should probably meet them sometime, right? After all, our little Adelaide has friends; they ought to meet that family.” Adelaide smiled and hugged him.   
  


“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll go text them now.” She hurried off down the hall and jumped onto her bed, leaving her door open a crack. She and her dad shared an apartment with Steve in Avengers’ Tower, and they had a system in place. Open doors meant come on in; closed was knock before entering or just plain stay away. She unlocked her phone (a souped up one courtesy of Uncle Tony) and opened up the group message with her friends.   
  


_ Hey, you guys free Wednesday?-A _ Her phone began going off not a minute later, a saxophone rift going off every time a text came in.   
  


_ Yep -R _   
  


_ Sure -K _   
  


_ What’s up? –L _   
  


_ I am now. –V _   
  


_ My family wants to meet my new friends. They want you to be here on Wednesday. –A _   
  


_ … _   
  


_ … _   
  


_ … _   
  


_ … _   
  


_ Okay. I’ll be at our usual spot at 9:30 –K _   
  


_ Me too –R _   
  


_ See you guys there –L _   
  


_ I’ll be there with bells on –V _   
  


_ Okay. Great! I’ll let them know. Warning: they are a bit overwhelming, and overbearing at times. Please don’t let them scare you off! –A _   
  


_ Don’t worry, ‘die. We don’t scare easily –R _   
  


_ Yeah, A, how bad can they be?? –L _   
  


_ Very bad. Please, just be yourselves –A _   
  


_ I’ll show up in my AC/DC shirt and ripped jeans, and if they have a problem, then we’ll have a problem –K _   
  


_ Killian, you better behave yourself –A _   
_   
_ _ I’m wounded, love! Wounded!! –K _   
  


_ We’ll be good, Addie. I’ll keep Ian in line –V _   
  


_ Thanks, Vince. You’re the best. See you guys later! –A _   
  


_ Barkley! I told you not to call me that! –K  _   
  


_ Let it go, Ramone. Or fight about it in the park later. Not in the group message. Some of us are busy –L _   
  


_ Bye, guys! –A/R _   
  


Adelaide smiled and shook her head at her friends before putting her phone on silent and playing a game. The door was pushed open, and she looked up to see Steve and Bucky standing in the doorway. “I’m meeting them at our usual meeting place at 9:30 to bring them here,” she said, looking up at the two men. “They promised to behave, mostly. Killian’s a troublemaker anyway.” Steve huffed a laugh and shook his head, leaving the doorway as he called back to them over his shoulder.   
  


“I’m ordering pizza! Don’t go too far away!” Bucky stood silently in the doorway, and Adelaide looked at him nervously.   
  


“Please, don’t be mad, Daddy,” she said quietly. “I really was going to tell you, but there was never a good time.”   
  


“I know, kotenok, I believe you,” he said, coming in and closing the door behind him. He sat on her bed next to her and hugged her to him. “I just didn’t realize how big you’ve gotten. You’re not my little kotenok anymore. You’re all grown-up and going places without me, and I just wasn’t ready for that.”   
  


“Was the date too much?” she asked nervously.   
  


“I really wasn’t ready for that one,” he consented. “And if that boy hurts you, I’m going to kill him.”   
  


“Papa,” she said in exasperation.   
  


“I’ll always be overprotective of you, moya angel,” he said to her with a smile. “It’s my job as a daddy.” She sighed and nodded.   
  


“I know. Just please, try not to scare them too much? For me?”   
  


“No promises, myshka. They have to know where they stand with me.”   
  


“At least back off of Rachel and Lilly. Please? They’re my best girl friends.”   
  


“That I can promise.” She smiled at him with a twinkle in her eyes.   
  


“If you wanted to mess with Killian though, I wouldn’t object too much,” she said. Bucky grinned a truly terrifying grin and squeezed her tightly. Oh, this was going to be fun!


	17. Chapter 17

Yeah, it was safe to say that Adelaide had never been this stressed in her life. She hadn’t slept very well last night, she was so anxious about today. She had been up and dressed at seven, and she had spent the past hour randomly rearraging things in her room and pacing. There were so many things that could go wrong. Her family could actually scare her friends away, or they could be embarrassing, or intimidating. Her friends could embarrass the daylights out of her, or they could tick her family off. The girls would be fine, but Killian and Vincent knew how to push people’s buttons. Vincent had promised to keep Killian in line, however, and she prayed that he’d keep his word. Her phone went off, and she picked it up.

_ Could you stop pacing, please? You’re very distracting –Bruce _   
  


_ Sorry! I didn’t realize you were awake! I’m just really nervous –A _   
  


_ Want to talk about it? Since you’re already up and everything? _   
  


_ Would you mind? _   
  


_ Not at all. I offered, didn’t I? _   
  


_ I’ll be right down. _ Adelaide grabbed her bag and took off down the hallway to the elevator, going down to Bruce’s room. While not as close to her as some of the others, she and the good doctor shared a love for wanting quiet at times and for science. They had often talked Tony out of the room with their debates and conversations. He was actually her first true friend. She was at his door and knocking in no time.   
  


“Come in,” his voice answered. She opened the door and stepped in to see Bruce on his couch, a book in one hand and tea in the other. He was still in his sleeping clothes, but he was definitely alert. “Hello, Addie.”   
  


“Hi, Bruce.” She sat down next to him and tucked her feet up under one of the cushions. 

“Whatcha readin’?”   
  


“A book on the theory of black holes. It’s quite interesting. Would you like to read it after I fisish?”   
  


“Sure. Thanks.”   
  


“Of course. Now, why don’t you tell me what has you so nervous?”   
  


“It’ll stress you out.”   
  


“Nonsense. Go ahead.” Adelaide took a deep breath.   
  


“I’m just really worried about today. There are so many things that could go wrong or happen, and I don’t want to lose my friends over this, but I’m just so scared that somebody’s going to overreact or do something stupid, and it’s going to ruin something, and I know that Vincent said he’d keep Killian in line, but that boy is a trouble-maker, and I don’t know what to expect, but he’s not going to behave himself, and Daddy’s in over-protective mode because I said yes to going on a date with Vincent, and he’s been quite about the subject since, and I’m so scared and nervous, and I didn’t sleep, and I haven’t eaten yet, and I have to meet them in forty-five minutes, and I’m freaking out!” She was panting slightly after her rant, and Bruce’s eyes were widened a bit.   
  


“Well, do you feel better now?” he asked. Adelaide nodded a bit.   
  


“Yeah, I think so.”   
  


“My suggestion would be to just relax. Your friends know this is important to you, and so do we. We want you to have friends, so we won’t chase them away from you. If they leave because of your family, they weren’t truly your friends anyway. Go eat something and then get ready to get your friends. Everything’ll be fine, I promise.”   
  


“I’m going to hold you to that,” she said with a smile.   
  


“I’ll let you. I’ll even try to keep Tony in line.”   
  


“Oh, you really do love me.”   
  


“Of course.”   
  


“Thank you, Bruce,” she said, hugging him. “I really appreciate it.”   
  


“You’re welcome, Addie. Anytime.” She went down to the kitchen and made herself a bowl of cereal. Wanda, Pietro, and Scott wandered in from different directions about five minutes later and set about making their own breakfast. Ten minutes after that, Bucky, Steve, and Sam came in from the elevator, hot and sweaty.   
  


“Morning, Addie,” Bucky said, kissing the top of her head.   
  


“Hey, Daddy.”   
  


“You going to get your friends in a little while?” She nodded. “Do you need anyone to come with you?”   
  


“Nein, Papa.”   
  


“You be safe, okay?” Steve said as he walked down the hall.   
  


“Not you too, Uncle Steve!”   
  


“All of us, myshka,” Pietro said, smiling at her as he sat down with an apple. “We worry about you.”   
  


“You shouldn’t,” she said, finishing her cereal. “I can take care of myself.”   
  


“We do anyway,” Clint said, coming into the room as Bucky left to shower. “It’s our job.” Adelaide smiled and shook her head as she cleaned her dishes and left to brush her teeth. Fifteen minutes to meet her friends. Time to go. She went to the garage and climbed into her other gift from Uncle Tony for her birthday—a black ’67 Chevy Impala. It ran better than it had the day it was manufactured thanks to several modifications her uncles had made to it, and she loved it. She hadn’t gotten into an accident once, and she’d had it for a year and a half now. Putting the key into the ignition, she roared the engine to life and was out into traffic in less than three minutes. In thirteen, which was impressive with New York traffic, she was parked and out of the car, locking it and walking towards the meeting place, the Burnett Fountain in Central Park.

When she got there, [Rachel](http://youqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cute-girl-with-long-strawberry-hair.jpg) and [Killian](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3f/f3/ed/3ff3ed42dc94946e5f7b355e948cb924.jpg) were already there. The two were cousins, who worked at the dime-store near the Avengers’ Tower, and went nearly everywhere together.   
  


“Hey, guys,” Adelaide greeted, coming up to them.   
  


“Addie!” Rachel said happily. “I’m so excited to meet your family! They sound great!”   
  


“Yeah, they’re something alright,” Adelaide said, smiling at her friend. Rachel was quite the character. She was quiet around strangers, but rather loud around friends. She was super smart and made straight A’s. Killian was sort of the opposite. He was loud all the time, had a new interest every other week, and had a knack for being a prankster. He was also star quarterback for the football team, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. All the girls in his school worshipped the ground he walked on, but he hadn’t dated anyone in the time that Adelaide had known him. She and the rest of her friends suspected that he had a crush on Lilly but wouldn’t act on it because they had been friends for so long. She, Vincent, Lilly, and Rachel even had a bet going. Vincent and Rachel thought that he wouldn’t tell her until after they graduated; Lilly and Adelaide thought that he would man up around senior prom. Losers had to pay winners twenty bucks and pay for ice cream. Adelaide ducked under a fake punch from Killian and tripped him, sending him headlong into the bushes. “Should have seen that coming, Ian,” she teased.   
  


“Don’t call me that,” Killian grunted as he climbed out, rubbing his head and pulling leaves out. [Vincent](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/cc/d4/aa/ccd4aa34f35b3bfb10fda98f7e5e1811.jpg) and [Lilly](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ea/83/08/ea830881b7bc9fec5857806a299fb312.jpg) walked up about that time. Vincent and Lilly were neighbors, and Lilly’s family was the one that worked at the old bookstore. The two had been friends since Vincent moved to town six years ago. They were like brother and sister, each being an only child. Lilly was quiet all the time, but she would set anyone in their place if they annoyed her too much. She was also the most fashionable out of all of them, but that was about where the extreme differences stopped. Vincent was outgoing and bright. He was always smiling and trying to make people laugh. He was on the baseball team at his school, and yet again, the girls worshiped the ground he walked upon. He’d dated a few times since Adelaide had known him, but the girls had always dumped him for one reason or another.   
  


“Hey, guys,” Lilly greeted.   
  


“Oh, you missed Addie sending Killian into the bushes!” Rachel exclaimed. “It was great!”   
  


“Darn,” Vincent said, snapping his fingers. “I would have paid good money to see that.”   
  


“We can do it again, if you’d like,” Adelaide offered.   
  


“Don’t we have to get to your place?” Killian countered. She shrugged,   
  


“If you’re really in that much of a hurry to go see them,” she answered. The collective answer was a yes. They headed back to her car and climbed in. Adelaide pulled back into traffic and made her way back to the Tower.   
  


“Um, Addie, that’s Avengers’ Tower,” Vincent said.   
  


“I know.”   
  


“Only the Avengers and staff are there,” Rachel said.   
  


“I know that too.”   
  


“Does someone in your family work there?”   
  


“Yep.”   
  


“Oh, are we going to see them on their break?” Lilly asked.   
  


“They shouldn’t be busy now, no.” Adelaide put her car into the scanner that let her park back in the garage and parked not two minutes later. “Okay, everybody out. And for the love of all that’s good in the world, Killian, behave yourself!”   
  


“I promise, ‘die, I promise.”   
  


“You better,” she warned. She took them into the lobby to get them all legal by Tower procedure’s standards.   
  


“Hi, Adelaide,” the receptionist greeted her. “What can I do for you?”   
  


“Hi, Mrs. Rose. My friends are visiting, and they need to be legal.”   
  


“Ah, I see. Have them sign here.” She handed her a tablet with a stylus.   
  


“Here, Rache. Don’t let them drop it,” she told the blonde. As her friends signed in, she conversed with the woman. “Slow day?”   
  


“Oh, the usual. Phone calls, forms to fill out, you know how it is.”   
  


“Oh, I know. I pity those who have your job. Though they are lucky to have you, Mrs. Rose.”   
  


“Oh, stop it, you. Here are your friends passes. Make sure they have them at all times.”   
  


“Yes, ma’am,” she said, giving each of her friends one. “Have a good day!”   
  


“You too, Adelaide!” She lead her friends to the elevator, and Adelaide felt her heartbeat pick up. Her phone went off, and she looked down at it.   
  


_ We’re all here. –AN _   
  


_ All of you? _   
  


_ Even Thor. _   
  


_ Oh, good gravy...we’re in the elevator. _   
  


_ Okay. See you soon. _ Adelaide put her phone away and stepped into the elevator.   
  


“Hello, Miss Adelaide.”   
  


“Hello, FRIDAY. 24, please.”   
  


“Of course.”   
  


“Who was that?” Vincent asked.   
  


“FRIDAY, the AI that runs this place. She keeps track of everything.”   
  


“Cool!” Killian exclaimed. The elevator stopped moving, and Adelaide’s heart was beating so fast that she could hear it in her ears.   
  


“Well, here we go, everyone,” she said to her friends. “Time to meet my family.” The elevator doors opened, and Adelaide stepped out, dragging her friends behind her.   
  


“Addie, those are the Avengers.”   
  


“I know.” Her father stepped up from the team and towards her.   
  


“Privet, Adelaida,” he said, smiling at her. (Hello, Adelaide.)   
  


“Privet, Papa,” she answered automatically in Russian. She wasn’t even think when she replied. “YA privel svoikh druzey.” (Hello, Daddy. I brought my friends.)   
  


“Kakoy iz nikh Vinsent?” Natasha asked, joining the conversation. (Which one is Vincent?) Vincent looked at them in surprise when he heard his name.   
  


“Odin v krasnoy obuvi,” Adelaide answered. (The one in the red shoes.)   
  


“Addie, that’s the Winter Soldier,” Killian said.   
  


“Ex-Winter Soldier. He doesn’t do that anymore,” she answered.   
  


“Why are you talking to him?” Rachel asked. Adelaide turned to look at her friends, all of whom looked caught in between awe and terror.   
  


“Because, he’s my dad.”


	18. Chapter 18

Well, Adelaide’s friends’ expressions were funny to say the least. In fact, she had bite her cheek to keep herself from laughing. Rachel and Lilly were caught between ecstatic and shocked. They were both secretly huge fangirls of the Avengers. Addie could feel a headache already forming from the freak-out she was going to have to deal with later. Vincent’s face was carefully subdued, but Adelaide knew him well enough to see the fear that was hidden in his eyes. He knew what he was getting himself into now. Yeah, she’d be lucky if he ever talked to her after this. Killian’s response was the funniest by far. He looked terrified, shocked, and excited all in one look. In fact, Adelaide was partly expecting him to bolt for the door any second. “Okay then,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Although I’m sure you know who they are, I’m going to introduce my family to you. This is Tony, Steve, Clint, Sam, Scott, Thor, Wanda, Natasha, Pietro, Vision, Bruce, and T’Challa. They are my uncles, aunts, and guardians. And this,” she said, grabbing Bucky’s hand, “is my dad, James Barnes. Everyone,” she said to the Avengers, “these are my friends Rachel, Lilly, Killian, and Vincent. Please don’t scare them off, as they are the only friends I have.” Adelaide fought back a grin at the looks on her friends’ faces and turned to Tony, who stepped up.

“Well, it’s nice to meet your little crew, Bit,” he said. “Now, because Capsicle is old, we have snacks.”

“Hey, my ma raised me right and taught me to have food when guests come over!” Steve defended himself.

“You made snacks?” Adelaide asked in surprise.

“Cookies, actually. Your favorite, too.”

“Yay!” she said happily, bouncing on her feet a bit. “You love me!”

“You know I do, bug.” Some of the others wandered over to the kitchen, following their noses to the cookies sitting out on the island. Others stayed where they were, or others went to greet Adelaide’s friends. Sam and Natasha were with Vincent at the island; Thor, Clint, and Scott were with Lilly at the table. Bruce had gone back to his lab because he didn’t do crowds very well, so he’d said his hellos and was gone. T’Challa, Pietro, and Wanda were sitting on the couches, talking about something about differences in foods around the world (Adelaide thought it was a very strange conversation to have, but she didn’t dwell too hard on it). Rachel was talking happily with Tony about some ideas she had had for robotics that would make it easier for amputees to get around, similar to what Bucky had now, but with even better sensors to make it even more like an actual body part. Pepper walked in around that time and started listening as well, and the three of them went up to Tony’s lab, probably to talk to Bruce as well. Adelaide smiled and shook her head. Rachel would probably have a job with her uncle by the end of the visit. Killian was actually sticking pretty close to Adelaide, even though she was standing next to her father at the time.

“You might wanna go grab some cookies before they eat them all, Piet,” Adelaide said to the speedster.

“Already have, myshka,” he said with a grin, holding up three in his hand. She shook her head.

“You should probably go get some too, Killian,” she said. “Thor and Uncle Clint will eat them all before you’ve had any.” Killian nodded and walked off, getting some before going over to where Lilly was standing. An hour later, she was sitting on one of the arms of a chair that Steve was sitting in, smiling at a story Killian was telling. She felt a presence behind her and looked up to see Bucky standing over her. “What do you think?” she asked quietly, looking up at him.

“The girls seem nice,” he said. “Killian seems like he’s trouble, but a gentleman underneath.”

“And Vincent?”

“Haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet.”

“Daddy, please don’t kill him. He’s a really good guy, and I’ve checked him out, Auntie Nat has too. I promise, you can trust him.”

“I don’t care about his history. You’re my baby girl. It’s my job.” She sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Just don’t scare him off before Friday,” she said. “I’d like to get the first date out of the way, since it’s a good movie. Even if it doesn’t work out, I get to go see a movie for free.” Bucky laughed a bit and smiled down at her.

“Taught you well, didn’t I?” he said proudly.

“Sure did.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide fidgeted. She knew her dad had talked to Vincent as he was leaving two days ago, but she wasn’t nervous about that. It was the standard first-date jitters that was getting to her. What if something went wrong? What if someone attacked while they were on their date and her dad never let her outside again? What if Vincent thought she didn’t look nice? “Addie, stop thinking so loudly. You’re giving me a headache,” Wanda scolded with a smile.

“Sorry, Wanda,” Adeladie apologized. “I’m just so nervous!”   
  


“We know, Addie, but you’re going to give yourself a panic attack if you don’t calm down,” Natasha said as she fixed her hair one last time. “There, perfect. Stand up so we can see you.” Adelaide stood up and faced the two women, who instantly smiled and clapped happily.

“Oh, you look so cute!” Wanda said in excitement.

“Poor boy won’t know what hit him,” Natasha said proudly. Adelaide looked at herself in the mirror and smiled a bit.

“You sure it’s not too much? I mean, it’s just dinner and a movie.”

“It’s perfect, Addie,” Wanda assured her. “Now, come on. He’ll be here soon!” The two women dragged her from her room and down the hallway to where everyone was waiting for her. When she entered the room, all was silent, and Adelaide felt a blush seeping into her cheeks.

“You look beautiful, Addie,” Steve finally said.

“What a beautiful young maiden you have bloomed into, Lady Barnes,” Thor said with a smile. She looked up at them shyly. She wasn’t used to all this attention.

“That’s it. You’re not going,” Bucky said firmly. Adelaide’s head snapped up.

“What? Why?” she asked, eyes wide.

“Nobody gets to see you all dolled up like that,” he said. “I don’t like it.”

“Barnes, you need to calm down,” Clint said. “It’s a date. She’s supposed to look like that.”

“Well, when your daughter’s going out with a boy looking like that, you see how well you like it!” Bucky shot back.

“Daddy, you promised!” Adelaide protested.

“Well, I changed my mind. You’re not going.”

“Buck, so help me, I will forcefully hold you down while she walks out of here if I have to,” Steve warned. “She’s going on this date.”

“None of us like the idea of her growing up, Sergeant Barnes,” T’Challa said, “but all children grow up at some point. You must let her experience this for herself.”

“I promise, I’ll be home by midnight,” Adelaide said. “Vincent has a curfew too. Please, Daddy.” Bucky sighed and looked at all of the determined faces in front of him. They weren’t going to let him keep this from her.

“Fine. Alright! You can go! But if you’re home one minute past midnight—”

“I’m never leaving the Tower again, I know,” she said, smiling at him and kissing his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“Sir, Mr. Vincent is here to get Adelaide.” Bucky took her arm and walked her to the elevator. She kissed everyone’s cheek as she left and waved before entering with her father and watching the doors close.

“Please be nice,” she begged once they were alone.

“I promise.” The elevator doors opened, and she saw Vincent standing in the lobby, a bouquet of daisies and lilies in his hand. Bucky escorted her over to him, and all of them exchanged smiles.

“Vincent, these are lovely!” she exclaimed, taking the flowers from him and smelling them. “How on earth did you know?”

“I asked Rachel and Lilly,” he admitted sheepishly. She smiled and squeezed his arm.

“Good use of your resources, Vince,” she answered, nodding at him reassuringly.

“Daddy, would you put these in water while we’re gone? I don’t want them to wilt,” she asked, holding them out for her father.

“Sure, kotenok. Vincent, I want her home by midnight. Not a minute later.”

“Yes, sir,” Vincent said with a nod. “I’ll have her back on time, Mr. Barnes.” Bucky gave him a nod and a handshake, looking him dead in the eyes.

“Have fun, printsessa,” Bucky said, kissing her cheek. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Okay, Daddy. Please try not to tear the Tower apart while I’m gone.”

“I’ll do my best, myshka.” Saying goodbye one last time, the two left the lobby, getting into a cab and heading towards an Italian restaurant down the street from the theater they were going to. 

“In case you were worried,” Addie said once they were seated in the cab, “you handled yourself wonderfully. My dad was trying to intimidate you there at the end, and you didn’t flinch.” Vincent gave a weak smile.

“I was flinching on the inside,” he admitted. She smiled and patted his arm reassuringly.

“Everyone flinches on the inside,” she answered. “Even Uncle Tony, but don’t tell him I said that.” They reached their destination, and Vincent helped her out before paying the cabbie. They entered the restaurant and sat down, Vincent also helping her with her coat and scooting her seat back for her. She checked off things mentally in her head, as much as she didn’t want to, on her family’s list of “things he must do before he’s allowed to see our baby girl again” (Clint’s words, not hers). He ordered for them (after finding out what she wanted), and the two of them chatted happily the entire time, even after their food arrived (which was amazing. Ten points to Lizzano’s). After finishing, they had enough time before the movie that they could actually walk there instead of getting another cab. Vincent paid (thank goodness he did that, because although her father might not have come after him for that, Uncle Steve would have chased him down and hit him over the head with his Book of Manners) and took her arm as they walked into the chilly night air. It was about an eight minute walk from the restaurant, and the two talked amiably the whole way there. They were going to see a mystery movie in an old theater (it hadn’t been around since Steve and Bucky were around. Yes, she’d asked. It was built in the ‘50s.), and they got drinks, but neither of them were even slightly hungry after dinner (seriously, five out of five to Lizzano’s. Adelaide was going to take Wanda and Auntie Nat there on their next day out.). They had gotten there early enough to get some good seats, and they talked quietly while other people filled in the other seats.

“Are you sure your dad isn’t going to come after me for taking you out?” Vincent asked for the fifth time that night. Adelaide smiled and shook her head.

“Contrary to popular belief, my dad does not kill everyone I come into contact with. And he was quite the ladies’ man himself back in the day, so he better not come after you, because he’s got  _ that _ reputation hanging over his head.”

“He doesn’t seem like one now,” Vincent said. Adelaide’s smile dropped off of her face. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry,” Vincent apologized. “That was really insensitive of me.” She shook her head.

“No, it’s alright. I know. He’s changed. He’s not the man he was in the forties, and I know that. I wish I had met that man, but he’s my dad. I wouldn’t trade him for anybody.” She was quiet for a few minutes, but she could tell that Vincent was beating himself up for that comment. “Seriously, Vince, it’s alright. You didn’t hurt my feelings at all. Honestly, I’m grateful he’s not anymore. That might have messed up my childhood a bit more than it already was.” She mentally smacked herself in the face. Her friends didn’t know that she had been in Hydra too. This was not something she wanted to be public knowledge.

“Yeah, I guess it would be tough, having the Winter Soldier for a dad, especially when he’s on the run like he was.” Addie held in a sigh of relief. Bless this adorable human being who just inadvertently covered for her.

“Yeah, it was hard, but if it gets us to where we are now, I’d gladly do it all over again. We have friends and family, a stable home life, Hydra is out of his head for good—it’s great. Life is really good now. I’m glad that we are where we are.” She smiled at him, genuinely happy again.

“I’m glad you’re happy, Addie. You deserve to be. You’re a wonderful person with a great heart. You deserve to have a good life.” She smiled and hugged him.

“Thanks, Vince. You’re not so bad yourself. You’re literally the nicest person I’ve ever met outside of my family.”

“Even more than Lilly?”

“Let’s face it. No one is nicer than Lilly.”

“True. I can deal with her being nicer than me.” They laughed quietly, not wanting to disturb the people around them. The movie started five minutes later, and Addie rested her head on Vincent’s shoulder about half-way through the movie. He didn’t shove her off. In fact, he went for the cliché “wrapping an arm around her shoulders” move. Adelaide smiled and continued to watch the movie in silence. The movie ended at 11:30, so they didn’t rush to leave, but they did head out and start looking for a cab.

“I had fun, Vincent,” she said quietly. “Thank you for asking me.”

“Thank you for accepting. I was really nervous, to be honest. I’ve never done this sort of thing before.”

“I haven’t either, obviously, and you can thank Auntie Nat for my accepting. She’s the one that told me to say yes.”

“I’ll do that.” They got into the cab, and Addie yawned as they pulled up in front of the Tower. Vincent asked the cab to wait and walked her to the front of the Tower. “Wanna bet they’re all waiting up for you?” he asked with a smile. She laughed a bit.

“Not  _ all _ of them. Most of them? Yes. But not all of them. Not all of them are  _ super _ over-protective of me. Actually, you’d be surprised how many of them wanted me to go out with you tonight. They’re very supportive, so you might have a few allies in the future.” Vincent laughed quietly, looking down at his feet. “It’s almost midnight, so I’d better get inside,” she said after a minute. Gathering up her courage, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek lightly. “Goodnight, Vincent.” She turned and walked inside, looking back over her shoulder as she entered the elevator. Vincent was still standing where she’d left him, and he waved a bit before watching the elevator doors closed. Adelaide giggled to herself before looking up at the ceiling.

“Good evening, Addie,” FRIDAY greeted her.

“Hello, FRIDAY.”

“Was your date successful?”

“Yes, it was. I had a wonderful time.”

“Glad to hear it,” the AI said cheerfully. “What floor?”

“Where is everyone waiting for me?” she responded.

“The 24 th floor.”

“Take me there then, please.”

“Of course.” Adelaide smiled one last time before her face became covered in a thunderstorm that rivaled one summoned by Thor. She had words to exchange with her “family.”


	19. Chapter 19

The doors to the elevators opened, and she was greeted by bright smiles that instantly turned into concerned and angry looks. “What’d that little punk do?” Bucky demanded, standing up and coming over to her. “I’ll kill him.”

“What happened, Addie?” Tony asked, looking at her in concern.

“Did he forget to pay for the meal?” Sam asked.

“No!” Adelaide exclaimed, stepping away from her dad. “The date was wonderful! Vincent was a perfect gentleman and did all the right things. He even freakin’ helped me with my coat! How old school is that move? No! The date itself was wonderful! But I just happened to look out the window at the restaurant and I was shocked to see a familiar looking car parked across the street. I thought ‘Surely, they wouldn’t,’ but then I realized, yes! You would! So, I hoped that I was mistaken and continued my meal, but I look at the patio of the deli next door, and who do I see sitting there? Why, no! That couldn’t be Uncle Sam and Uncle Tony! They wouldn’t! But yes, it was. And I keep looking around, and I see Uncle Scott and Uncle Clint on a balcony across the street. I realized that I was being watched. On my first date! Did you really think that I wouldn’t notice?” she yelled. “I was trained by  _ freakin’ Hydra _ from the age of six! I  _ notice _ things! I’m not completely oblivious. The fact that you four  _ watched _ my date infuriated me, but no. I was determined to have a good date, so I ignored you and kept talking to Vincent, who was being a wonderful date and keeping the conversation going, and I was having a marvelous time, except for the fact that I was being  _ spied on _ !” She was so red in the face that many of them thought she was going to actually explode. Several objects around the room had begun floating about halfway through her tirade, and they were swirling about her head. “I was having a great time! Vincent was the perfect gentleman, and he might actually ask me out again, but this time, I’m going to leave my phone here!” She actually threw her phone down on the ground and spun on her heel, going back to the elevator and angrily staring at the ceiling. “FRIDAY, take me to my floor, and don’t let anyone come into my room unless I tell you to.”

“Yes, Addie. I am sorry for your uncles’ behaviors. They were quite immature.”

“Thank you, FRIDAY, but I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Of course.” She stormed through her apartment and into her room, slamming the door and locking it before flinging herself down on her bed and breaking down into tears. Tonight had been one of the best moments of her life, but her family was too over-protective to let her actually go out on her own without an escort. She’d had a wonderful time, but it’d been dampened by knowing that she wasn’t trusted by herself. She’d proven herself time and time again in the training room against all kinds of scenarios and against all of them (except Tony in the suit, that would never happen), but she couldn’t be trusted with a boy! She knew her make-up was smearing, and she felt terrible for ruining all of Wanda’s hard work, but she was just so  _ angry _ and  _ hurt _ and  _ upset _ that she couldn’t express herself. She stood up with determination in her eyes and began changing her clothes, all the while having FRIDAY send a message to a number she knew by heart just for occasions like this (and not telling the others, obviously). FRIDAY read the reply to her, and Adelaide broke into a small smile, putting some clothes into a bag along with other essentials. She looked at herself in the mirror, and she looked like a wreck with make-up pouring down her cheeks and her eyes all red and puffy from crying. She made a useless attempt to fix her hair, but she knew it was a lost cause. She slung her bag over her shoulders and looked around her room.

“FRIDAY, where is everyone?” she asked.

“Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes are in their respective rooms. Dr. Banner is in his room, as well as Mr. and Ms. Maximoff. The Vision is in the library, and everyone else is in the common room.”

“Thank you.” Slipping quietly out of her room and the apartment, she took the stairs down to the main floor and out the side door of the lobby. Looking around, she spotted a familiar vehicle down the street, and she hurriedly walked over to it, hugging the person leaning against it. Neither exchanged words as she and the newcomer got into the Jeep and drove off into the streets of Manhattan, leaving the Tower behind.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If she had had her phone with her, Adelaide was sure that it would have been blowing up at this point. She’d been gone for three hours, and surely her absence had been noticed by now. She honestly hadn’t expected to be gone this long. She just needed some time to cool her head and collect herself. Now, she was so caught up with catching up with her savior of the day, she didn’t want to go back yet. She had called a friend of a friend of a friend. The connection was rather obscure as to how she’d met this person, but she’d gotten several good friends out of this maze of relationships. Colonel Simon Savage had worked with the Howling Commandos during and long after World War II, and Adelaide had met him when she, Steve, and Bucky had gotten together with the remaining members of their old team four or five years back. Col. Savage had worked with a group called the Samurai Squad in an attack on Hydra way back during one of the wars much later (she honestly couldn’t remember which one it was). Through that alliance, someone knew someone else who knew a guy who worked with someone once, and they knew Professor Charles Xavier, and she knew him through that connection. He’d actually come down once or twice to help her with her telekinesis. He’d grown rather fond of her (honestly, who didn’t at this point?), and she’d gone to visit him at his mansion one summer and made several friends. One of them had been the one she’d called, and honestly she was lucky he’d even been in the neighborhood. 

Logan Howlett was not one who was ever in one place for too long, and she was surprised he’d been in the area at all. He usually liked to head west on his excursions away from the mansion. Anyway, he’d come and gotten her and taken her several miles out of town to a shady spot in the woods near the side of the road. It overlooked a cliff, and Manhattan could be seen off in the distance. She was sitting on the hood of his Jeep, sipping Mountain Dew out of a glass bottle (seriously, on a side note, those things are the absolute best thing ever since the beginning of the world). Logan leaned against the hood next to her, sipping a beer in between puffs of his cigar. Honestly, her dad would kill her later for both the heart attack as well as hanging out with Logan (even though Steve swore that they’d worked together in World War II and that he was a good man, though rough around the edges. Her father didn’t remember everything, and that was one of them). It wasn’t that he didn’t like the man; they got along great. Bucky just didn’t want her around him, even though Addie got along great with him, and jumped at any chance to hang out with him. Roadside attractions when he was in the neighborhood were common. She’d been to just about every mini-attraction you could go to without leaving the area. Plus, he was a listening ear, and—contrary to popular belief—gave good advice. “—so I threw my phone down and ran upstairs to my room, had a good cry, then called you,” she finished saying. Logan was silent for a minute, casually sipping his beer, before sighing.

“Sounds to me like you know what you have to do, kid,” he answered. Adelaide sighed.

“But do I want to? Not even slightly.”

“Tough luck, kid. We all got things we don’t wanna do that we gotta do anyway.”

“Even you, Logan? I thought you go where you wanna go?”

“I do, but even I’ve done things I don’t wanna do before. Life ain’t fair, kid, and sometimes you just gotta get up and face the music.”

“Yeah, this music has a death march sound to it,” Adelaide sighed, draining the last of her Mountain Dew. She licked her lips and looked out over the view. “Thanks for coming and getting me. I needed to rant a bit.”

“Sure thing, kid.”

“You know, I’m almost forty-five. I’m not a kid.”

“Yeah? Join the club.” She laughed a bit and shook her head.

“What is it with all these people being way older than they look? You, me, Dad, Uncle Steve—what even is aging anymore?”

“A thing of the past, kid. C’mon, I’ll take you back home.” She hopped down off of the hood and stretched before climbing into the passenger seat of the Jeep.

“Hey, Logan?” she asked as he started up the engine.

“Yeah?”

“You think you could come with me to back me up?”

“Kid, you ain’t always gonna have back-up.”

“I know, but just this once? Please?” Logan sighed and shook his head as he threw the car into gear and headed back towards the road.

“Your old man’s not gonna be happy to see me.”

“At least he’ll know I wasn’t out with a stranger. You can’t get much safer with the Wolverine driving you around.” Logan huffed a laugh around his cigar and got back onto the road, heading towards Manhattan.

“You tell him that, and I’ll come with you.” Adelaide beamed and sang along to the music on the radio as they drove back into the city and towards the Tower. Logan parked across the street, and the two walked into the lobby, heading straight towards the elevator.

“Glad to see that you’ve returned, Addie,” FRIDAY said.

“Thanks, FRIDAY. How bad is it?”

“They are quite frantic about your disappearance, Miss Barnes.”

“Ooh, ‘Miss Barnes,’” Logan said with a smirk. “Must be serious.”

“Oh, it was serious the moment I left the building. I knew I was getting into serious trouble, but they deserve the heart attack after what they did to me.” Logan huffed another laugh and crossed his arms while the elevator went up. “FRIDAY, please let them know I’m back. Might as well get everyone in the same room when I get there. Get it all over with at once.”

“Yes, ma’am.” When the elevator finally opened, Adelaide stepped out and was instantly crushed in a tight hug.

“Don’t you  _ ever _ do that to me again!” her father said in a tight voice. “I was so  _ scared _ . I didn’t know where you went, and I couldn’t find you, and what if something happened to you? Don’t you ever leave like that again!” He stepped back and looked her over. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where were you?” She stepped away from his hold and motioned towards the outside of the elevator, where Logan was standing quietly.

“I’m fine, Daddy. I was with Logan a few miles outside of town. I could see the Tower from there. I was perfectly safe, and nothing bad happened.” Bucky looked up to see Logan, and his eyes narrowed a bit. “Before you say or do anything that makes me mad at you too, think about how stupid someone would have to be to try anything with the Wolverine around. I couldn’t have been safer, Daddy.” Bucky sighed a bit and conceded.

“Thank you for watching her,” Bucky said reluctantly. Logan nodded.

“Why did you leave, Addie?” Natasha asked. “We were very worried about you.”

“Honestly, I needed to cool my head and rant a bit. I’m still extremely upset with some of my uncles at this moment. But now, I’m willing to sit down and converse like normal human beings, if any of you are willing to apologize.” The guilty parties sheepishly nodded, and Adelaide turned to Logan, nodding at him that he could leave. He nodded back and stepped into the elevator again, leaving everyone to talk out their problems. Apologies were exchanged, and it was made very clear that nothing like this was ever to happen again. They wouldn’t spy on her, and she wouldn’t up and leave without telling anyone. The problem dealt with and resolved, Adelaide went up to her room for a much needed nap.


	20. Chapter 20

“P—Piet.”

“Myshka, what’s wrong?”

“T—ta—take m—m—me h—h—h—home.”

“Myshka, what happened? Where are you? I’ll come get you. Tell me where you are.” His answer was heavy sobbing. “Just hang on, myshka. FRIDAY’s tracking your phone. I’ll be there soon.”

“P—pl—please, Piet.”

“I’m coming, myshka. I’m going to hang up so I can run, okay? I’ll be right there. Da?”

“Da, Piet.” The line went dead, but the silver-haired man was in front of her in less than three seconds. She flung herself into his arms and started sobbing into his shoulder.

“It’s alright, myshka. I’m here. It’s okay,” he soothed, rubbing her back in slow circles.

“Please don’t leave me,” she gasped through her tears.

“Never, myshka. I’ve got you. I promise. Let’s get you home, da?” He scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest, and took off. The wind rushed by them, making her ears pop a bit, but she tucked herself into his chest and gripped tightly onto his shirt. When they stopped, they were in the Avengers’ Lounge, standing in front of Scott and T’Challa.

“What’s wrong, Ladie?” Scott asked gently. She continued to cry hard, wracking sobs that shook her whole body. Pietro sat down on a couch and held her, letting her sob. She was vaguely aware of the others talking, but she wasn’t listening. When she had cried all she could and no more tears would come, she was reduced to shaky breaths and clutching tightly onto Pietro’s shirt, probably wrinkling as well as staining it with her tears. If it bothered him, he didn’t say anything about it. Suddenly, a blanket was wrapped gently around her, and she felt a gentle kiss pressed atop her head. Something soft was pressed into her hands, and she blinked open her puffy eyes to see a stuffed polar bear that had been Bucky’s first present to her when they were on the run. She loved that thing with a passion and named it Frosty. The fact that someone had brought it to her made her want to cry even more. Three sets of hands were rubbing her back, leg, or arm to sooth her, and she vaguely heard a feminine voice talking in the background. She sat in Pietro’s lap, face buried in his shoulder and hands clutching desperately onto both him and her bear. She didn’t hear the voices talking, some heated and others calm, nor did she hear doors opening and closing. She did feel a mug of something warm being pressed to her lips, and she mechanically sipped some of it before turning her face away. The thought of anything else made her feel sick. She sat in silence, occasionally sniffling or hiccuping or taking a shuddery breath, but that was it. Suddenly, she felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder, and she was moving. The blanket fell from her shoulders and the polar bear was smooshed between them as Adelaide flew into her father’s arms, sobbing anew, though she had no more tears left to cry.

“U menya yest' ty, detka. Vse normal'no. YA zdes',” he said lowly as he held her. Adelaide clung onto him for all she was worth, crying hard into his shoulder. She felt the blanket being draped over her shoulders again, and her father picked her up and walked into the elevator, asking FRIDAY to take them to their floor. He took her to the couch and sat down, holding her in his lap and whispering to her in Russian. “Eto khorosho, dorogaya, u menya yest' ty. Vse khorosho.” (I’ve got you, baby. It’s okay. I’m here./It’s okay, sweetheart, I’ve got you. Everything’s okay.) She had stopped crying by this point but was back to harsh breaths and sniffles. She heard Steve come in, and he laid a gentle kiss on the top of her head before heading off towards another part of the apartment. “Vy khotite pogovorit' ob etom, kukolka?” her father asked gently, running a hand through her hair. She shook her head slightly, clutching onto the polar bear in her arms. “Khorosho, solntse. Vse normal'no. Vam ne pridetsya. YA zdes', yesli vam nuzhno chto-nibud'.” (Do you want to talk about it, baby doll?/ Okay, sunshine. It's okay. You don't have to. I'm here if you need anything.) She closed her eyes and sniffled again, pressing her face into his shoulder. She heard him start to hum quietly, and she recognized their special song. Steve walked in again and sat down on the other side of them.

“Ladybug, you wanna come over here while your dad gets cleaned up?” he asked gently. She didn’t necessarily want to, but Uncle Steve was probably right. They’d obviously just gotten back from their mission, and there was no telling what was covering her father at this moment. She scooted back a bit, and Steve carefully pulled her to his side, letting her use his chest as a pillow while Bucky shot off the couch to take the quickest shower in the history of the world. “FRIDAY, would you play that song Bucky was humming?” Steve asked. The AI didn’t respond, but “Moonlight Serenade” began to play softly. “Oh, is this what you two are always dancing to when I’m not home?” he asked with a small laugh. Adelaide nodded, a small smile appearing on her face.

“It’s our song,” she said quietly.

“I remember this song,” Steve said. “When it first came out, anyway. I’m surprised you know it.”

“He remembered it while we were in Romania,” she answered. “On my birthday.”

“Oh, I see. It’s a nice song. I’m glad you two have something special like that.” She smiled and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, Uncle Steve.”

“You’re welcome, bug.” Bucky came back and sat down, letting Adelaide curl up into his side again.

“Hello, kotenok,” he said with a smile. “You up to talking to me now?” She shrugged a bit. “You talked to Stevie. Why not me?”

“He’s not scary,” she answered with a grin.

“Oh, is that how it is?” Bucky asked, looking down at her with raised eyebrows.

“Face it, Buck. People love this face.”

“Yeah, you’ve got the puppy dog look down alright, you punk.”

“Shut up, jerk.” Adelaide laughed a bit, shaking her head at their attempts to cheer her up with their banter. The three sat in silence, and Adelaide took a deep breath.

“One year,” she said quietly.

“What was that, printsessa?” Bucky asked.

“I’ve dated Vincent for one year.”

“And we’re very glad you have, bug,” Steve said. Adelaide was quiet for a beat.

“I had a date with him tonight,” she said, staring at a spot on the floor.

“Is that why you’re all dolled up, sweetheart?” Bucky asked. She nodded.

“What happened, Addie?” Steve asked. Adelaide took a shaky breath and grabbed onto the polar bear again, squeezing it tightly to her chest.

“We went to a restaurant downtown that has a dance floor in it. I’ve always wanted to go there, but you were always busy, so Vincent said he’d take me on our next date. We got there, ate, and talked, and I got up to go to the bathroom. When I came back, Vincent wasn’t at the table. I figured he’s gone to pay or something, so I stood by the table for him to get back. I just happened to look up to see him on the dance floor, and—” Her voice cut off as she took a shaky breath. She felt Bucky tense next to her and watched as his fists clenched.

“Was he with someone else, myshka?” Her father growled. Adelaide nodded.

“Th—they were kissing,” she finished. The noise her father made was not human.

“He’s dead,” Bucky growled out. “Steve, watch her.”

“Bucky, no!” Steve said, standing up to follow Bucky to the door. Adelaide curled up on the couch, watching the two of them while she fought down harsh breaths.

“Let me go, Steve! I’m going to kill him!”

“No! Bucky, look at her!” She watched both pairs of eyes flick over to her. “She needs her dad, not me. I’ll go talk to the others, rationally. We aren’t going to kill him. That’s not what we do.”

“It’s what I do,” Bucky answered.

“No, not anymore, and then you didn’t have a choice. We’ve been through this a thousand times. This is not the way to go about it. I’m mad too, believe me, as will everyone else when they find out, but I’m not letting you go out there and ruin both your life and her!” Bucky sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“You’re right,” he sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t—”

“You’re mad, and upset, and protective, I get it. But she needs you right now, Buck, more than she ever has before. You stay with her. Let me take care of it.” Bucky nodded and stepped aside to let Steve exit the room. He came back to her side and sat down, letting her rest against him again.

“I’m sorry, kotenok. I’m really sorry.” Adelaide curled up even closer to him and eventually fell asleep to the sound of her father humming along to the music playing.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A knock on the door made Adelaide look up from the book she was reading. Natasha stood in the doorway, smiling a bit at her. “Hey, you,” she said. “Can I come in?” Addie nodded and closed her book.

“Always, Auntie Nat.” She scooted over to make room for her on the bed.

“How’re you holding up?” her aunt asked.

“I’m alright.”

“You up for visitors?” Adelaide looked at the redhead in confusion. “There are some people here to see you.”

“Sure, I guess so,” Addie answered, shrugging.

“Okay. Be right back.” Adelaide watched her aunt leave and sat up a bit more, making sure her bookmark was firmly in its place in her book.

“Addie!” a voice exclaimed, and suddenly she had her arms full of a person. Adelaide looked up and saw Lilly standing in the doorway, so that meant that this person was Rachel.

“What’re you two doing here?” she asked in confusion. “Not that I’m not glad to see you, but don’t you two have work today?”

“We asked the day off to come see you,” Lilly said.

“Wait a minute,” Rachel said, sitting up and looking around. “Where’s Ian?”

“I’m right here,” his voice said from around the corner, “and don’t call me that!” He stepped into the room, and Adelaide gasped.

“Killian, what happened to your face?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Doesn’t even hurt.”

“Killian, your eye is swollen shut!”

“I know. It’s cool.”

“No. Sit down and explain yourself, mister. I  _ will _ get my father in here.” Killian sat down obediently and sighed.

“I got in a fight.”

“You? Got in a fight? With who?”

“Vincent,” Rachel answered. Adelaide stiffened up. “It’s okay. He’s not here. Actually, we haven’t seen him in about a week.”

“Don’t you  _ live _ next to him? How haven’t you seen him?”

“I’ve avoided him like the plague.”

“What’d he do to you guys?”

“Actually, it’s what he did to you that’s got us all upset,” Lilly said, coming to sit down on Adelaide’s other side while Killian took up the foot of the bed.

“How’d you guys find out?”

“Your uncle called us, actually,” Rachel said.

“Which one? You forget I have, like, fifty.”

“Captain Rogers.”

“Oh.”

“He told us what happened and asked us to tell Vincent that if he was seen anywhere near you or Avengers Tower to consider himself dead or worse.” Adelaide sighed and shook her head with a smile.

“I appreciate it, guys, really, but that doesn’t explain why Vincent and Killian got in a fight. You two are best friends; why fight?”

“We were fighting about  _ you _ , Addie,” Killian said emphatically. “I fought with him about  _ you _ .” Adelaide’s eyes widened.

“Why on—”

“He said he didn’t kiss any girl that night.”


	21. Chapter 21

“He said  _ what _ ?” Adelaide exclaimed. “That’s not true! I  _ saw _ him! He was wearing that red and blue flannel he likes so much!”

“Vincent’s story is different,” Rachel said. “I went over to his house the minute Lilly called to tell me what Capt. Rogers said. Needless to say, he wasn’t unharmed when Killian went to see him a bit later.”

“You  _ slapped _ him?” Addie said, shocked. Those two were even better friends than the boys!

“If you had been in my place, you would’ve done the same thing.”

“What’d he say?”

“You might wanna prepare yourself for this,” Lilly said, taking her hand gently. Adelaide squeezed gently, then nodded.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Killian put his hand on her knee.

“We’re here if you need us, Addie,” he said, and she smiled at him.

“I know. I’m okay.” Rachel took a breath and began.

“He Whom I Shall Not Speak Of said that you left for the bathroom, and while you were in there, he decided to pay the check so you two could leave and get back to the Tower on time before somebody came after you. He left his coat so you’d know he didn’t bail on you and went around the edge of the dancefloor to pay. He said that when he finished, there was no way back around the dancefloor, it was so crowded. So, he was forced to take the short cut through the dancefloor so he wouldn’t leave you waiting when you got back. He was almost there, but this drunk girl grabbed his arm and called him some other name, and he was trying to get her to let go of him, but she wouldn’t. Then, after he finally managed to get his arm free, she grabbed his head and smashed her lips to his. He struggled to get her to let go and took off towards the table. When he got back, he said that he waited for you to come out for a good ten minutes before checking the bathroom and not finding you, and that he looked for you for a good fifteen minutes after that, calling your phone and texting you the entire time with no answer. He also said that just as he was about to call the police, he got a call from your Uncle Scott to not bother looking for you, and if he ever saw him again, it’d be the last thing he saw.”

“Wait,  _ Uncle Scott _ said that? Wow.” And  _ he _ was usually the calm one!

“Yep. Vincent said he tried texting you a few more times after that before heading back home, and then I came over, and you know the rest.” Adelaide shook her head.

“There are way too many coincidences in that story for that to be true,” she said. “I  _ know _ what I saw. There was no grabbing or anything like that.”

“Well, whether he’s telling the truth or not, he’s one limb short at the moment.”

“Killian! What did you do?”

“Nothing, Addie, I promise. It was an aftermath of the fight.”

“One of which was you getting out with only a black eye?”

“Yep. He caught himself wrong and broke his arm. Serves him right, in my opinion.” Adelaide shook her head and laughed a bit.

“The lengths you people go to to protect me astounds me.”

“I don’t see how,” Lilly said.

“You’re sweet, adorable, cute, kind, funny, understanding, and know how to stand up for yourself. You’re a great person, Addie. Anyone who’d hurt you is an idiot,” Rachel said with a grin.

“Vincent is, in fact, included in that category,” Killian clarified.

“Thanks, Ian. I’d wondered,” Adelaide teased.

“That’s it! I get no love here! I’m going to go find Thor.”

“Try the kitchen. He just got a new stash of Poptarts.” Killian left with a two-finger salute over his shoulder. “Speaking of people trying to text me, where  _ is _ my phone?” Adelaide asked.

“I think someone said something about Mr. Stark getting you a new one?” Lilly said with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, come on then,” Adelaide said. “Uncle Tony hasn’t shut up about my ‘genius little friend’ since you guys left. He’ll be glad to see you.” She stood up and stretched, pulling her friends up as well.

“No, Addie,” Rachel whined. “I don’t wanna.”

“Rachel, I’m serious, he said he’d give you a job, if you’re interested. And besides, then you could spend all of your lunch breaks with me!”

“Well, that’s a perk,” she said as the three walked down the hallway.

“And I promise he pays well. If he doesn’t, I’ll throttle him.”

“You’ll throttle who now?” a voice asked, and Addie looked up to see Clint walking up to them.

“Uncle Tony if he doesn’t pay Rachel well if she takes the job we all know he wants to offer her.” Clint slung an arm around her shoulders and shook her a bit.

“You’d have to get in line, kiddo. I think Steve has a standing-order to get first swing at Tony any day of the week.”

“But he loves me, so he’ll let me go first.” Clint laughed loudly.

“You’re right; you’re right. He probably would. Where are you three lovely ladies off to?” Rachel and Lilly giggled a bit. Yep, they were still fangirls at heart; talking to Captain America on the phone wouldn’t faze them, but a compliment from Hawkeye had them giggling like school girls.

“Talk to Uncle Tony about my phone, which has mysteriously disappeared.”

“Oh yeah, I heard someone say something about that. Well, you three have fun.” He left with a wave, and Adelaide rolled her eyes at her two friends once he was gone.

“Seriously, guys? Uncle Clint is literally the most laid-back person I’ve ever met, and  _ that _ set you two off?”

“What? It’s not every day you get a superhero compliment,” Lilly defended.

“Actually—”

“Aside from you, Addie. Anyone aside from you.” The three laughed as they entered Tony’s lab, and the two men inside looked up at the sound.

“And to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, Sparky?” Tony asked. Adelaide waved at Bruce, who nodded before going back to whatever it was he was working on.

“I was told you might know the whereabouts of my phone?” she said.

“Oh yeah. Hey Brucie, where’d we put Little Barnes’s phone?”

“On the workbench,” the man said distractedly _. _

“What’s with the new nicknames, Uncle Tony?” Adelaide asked as her phone was retrieved from Tony’s workbench.

“Just trying them out for size. We updated your phone a bit more, just because it was left on the coffee table.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

“And I took the liberty of texting that sorry excuse for a human being back.” Adelaide’s smile dropped.

“Oh good gravy. What’d you say to him, Uncle Tony?”

“It’s on your phone, Bit. And he already read it, so no use now.” Adelaide groaned and left the room before popping her head back in.

“Ask Rachel about that job while she’s hear. And you better pay her well!” she took off to her room again, Lilly in tow. The two skidded past her dad and Steve, who were coming out of the apartment.

“Whoa, where’s the fire?” Steve asked.

“In my hands,” Adelaide answered and she and Lilly dashed into her room and vaulted onto the bed, making the frame screech. The two men followed them back in and stood in the doorway.

“And why’s that?” Bucky asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“Uncle Tony texted  _ him _ back.”

“Oh great,” Steve sighed, rolling his eyes. “Did he at least ask?”

“No. He said the phone was left on the coffee table, so he and Bruce updated it a bit and he answered the text then.” Steve rolled his eyes again. “Keep doing that, and your eyes might fall out, Uncle Steve,” Adelaide said with a grin.

“Ooh,” Bucky teased, covering up his laughs with a smile.

“Watch it, kid. I can still take you.”

“But I can still beat you.” This time, Lilly started laughing.

“Adelaide—”

“It might be best for you to quit while you’re still ahead, Stevie,” Bucky said, patting his friend on the shoulder. “You want us two old men to get out of here, kotenok?”

“I don’t really care one way or the other, Papa. And you’re not  _ old _ , just  _ vintage _ .” Even Steve laughed at that one, and Bucky shook his head.

“Kid, you gotta stop hanging out with Sam and Clint.” She gave him an innocent grin, and the two left. “We’re going to go get pizza! Be back in a bit!”

“Da, Papa! I’ll be here!” Once all was silent, the two girls looked down at the phone in Adelaide’s hands.

“Do you wanna wait for Rachel or Killian to get back?” Lilly asked. She shook her head.

“No. Better to get this over with now.” She unlocked the phone and cleared the voicemails, not bothering to listen to them. She went straight to the messages, looking at the ones Vincent had sent her that night while she had been breaking down.

_ I’m ready to go when you are. _

_ Are you okay? _

_ Hey, it’s been five minutes, are you alright? _

_ Addie? _

_ Hey, Addie, where are you? _

_ Addie, this isn’t funny. Where’d you go? _

_ Addie _

_ Addie _

_ Miss Barnes _

_ Addie _

_ Where are you? _

_ Please answer me. _

_ Adelaide, this isn’t funny. I’m getting scared. _

_ Adelaide, please answer your phone. Tell me where you are. _

_ ADDIE _

_ WHERE _

_ ARE _ _   
_ _ YOU _

_ I swear, if you’re hurt somewhere, I’m never going to forgive myself. _

_ Please be okay _

_ Answer me as soon as you can, please. I’m really worried. _

_ Addie, I just got a call from your uncle. Why is he so mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Are you safe? Please, just let me know you’re okay. That’s all I ask. _

_ If it’s something I did, I’m so sorry. Please, just call me, okay? We’ll talk this out. Sleep well, Adelaide Barnes. Tonight was great _

Then came the message from Tony.

_ Listen, kid, that girl is that sweetest thing that has ever walked the planet. None of us deserve her in our lives, and from the sound of things, you even less than anyone. The only time I better see or hear from you again better be to come grovel for your pathetic excuse of a life or in an obituary. I don’t want to see you around my little sunshine ever again. Are we clear? –Tony Stark _

_ Mr. Stark, I didn’t do anything to hurt Adelaide. I swear, that is the last thing I’d ever want. I care for her a lot, more than I have anyone ever. I know no one will give me a chance to explain myself, though, so I’ll stay out of her life. Please, tell her that I’m sorry things ended how they did, and that I’m not mad at her in any way. I love her, and I know that I probably should have said it before now, but I’ve finally realized it. That’s all I want her to know. You’ll never hear from me again, any of you. I promise. _

Adelaide dropped her phone from her hands, tears welling up in her eyes. She’d never heard Vincent sound so—broken. Her heart was still aching from that night, but she wanted to cry even more for her friend. He _ loved _ her! He’d hinted at it; heck, they both had, but neither one of them had ever said it. What if she had read things wrong? What if she was remembering something wrong, and this was all a big, terrible, messy misunderstanding? It was possible. After all, she’d thought that she’d seen a rabbit on skis once, but really it was just an odd shadow of a bird, and that didn’t really have anything to do with this matter, but she’d seen one thing and thought it was something else. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Maybe I should call him, let him explain himself,” she said, shocked at how shaky her voice sounded.

“No, you shouldn’t!” Lilly said, gripping her hands tightly. Adelaide noticed that her hands were shaking. “What he did was  _ wrong _ , Addie! He  _ hurt _ you. Worse than I’ve ever seen you hurt before.”

“But Lilly—”

“No. Move on, Addie. You’ll find another guy. The world’s full of them.”

“But—”

“No more buts. Gather yourself together and get on with your life. No man is worth you crying over.” Adelaide sighed. There were points in her life that she wondered if Lilly and her father weren’t related somehow. They both certainly had the same stubborn streak. “Now, I’ve got to go. My mom wants me home to cook a meal for a friend of hers. You take care of yourself, alright?”

“Yes, Mom,” Adelaide said as she rolled her eyes. Lilly left, only to be replaced by Rachel and Killian a few minutes later.

“Lilly go home?” Rachel asked.

“Yep. Just missed her. Did you take the job?”

“Yes, I did,” Rachel sighed, and Adelaide squealed before jumping up to hug her friend.

“That’s great, Rachel! You’ll have so much fun, I just know it!”

“Thanks, Addie. We’ve got to get going too. Have to be home by eight tonight for my brother’s birthday party.”

“Say hi to Alex for me!”

“I will.” Adelaide hugged Rachel one last time before hugging Killian.

“Thank you for defending my honor,” she whispered.

“Of course. Anytime.” The two left, and Adelaide went to sit on the couch, her phone in her hands. Bucky and Steve would be back with pizza any minute, but she couldn’t help the little feeling that was telling her she needed to call Vincent and talk things over. If that meant sneaking out again, so be it, but something was telling her that she needed to talk to Vincent and hear his side of the story, even if it hurt. The way that last message had sounded was off, even for sad Vincent. She made up her mind just as her dad and uncle came back. She was going to talk to Vincent, and she was going to do it soon.


	22. Chapter 22

Adelaide had a flurry of different emotions rushing through her chest at the moment. She was nervous, angry, hurt, and scared. There were so many ways this could go. They’d dated for a year! She’d trusted him with so many things that he could use against her! Of course,  _ nobody _ knew about Hydra, and hopefully they never would, but there were so many secrets she’d told Vincent about herself that this conversation could literally go anywhere. She honestly hadn’t meant to dress up for the occasion, but Wanda was taking her to some special thing later, and she’d had to get ready before leaving, so she looked on the nicer side of casual at the moment. Speaking of Wanda, the woman was around here somewhere, much to Adelaide’s comfort, but she was still scared out of her mind.  _ I don’t know if I can do this, _ she said to Wanda

_ I’ll be right here, Addie, I promise. _

_ We might have to get Piet to get me out of here again. I don’t think I can handle this. _

_ You’re not alone, Addie. You’ve got me, and Scott’s around here somewhere, as is Clint. All of us are here for you, and you know it.  _ Adelaide sighed and nodded, even though she knew that Wanda couldn’t see her. 

_ Okay. Okay, I’m okay. I can get through this. We were friends first; that’s why I want to talk to him. I’ve known him for two years, and this is completely out of character for him. That’s why we’re doing this. I can do this. _

_ There you go. Now, go on. _ Wanda went silent, and Adelaide sighed before stepping into the café she was standing in front of. She looked around and sighed. She didn’t see Vincent anywhere, but she was early anyway. She sat down at a small table near a display for shirts and waited. First she looked up towards the door to see if he walked in on time; then, she looked at fifteen minutes; later, it was thirty. Adelaide sighed.

_ He’s not coming, Wanda. _

_ I suppose not. Do you want to eat, or shall we go ahead and go? _

_ Let’s go. I tried. I guess it’s really over.  _ The thought made her heart pang. She’d lost more than her first love; Vincent was one of her best friends. Their little group of friends wouldn’t be the same if he chose not to hang out with them anymore or something else terrible like that. It hurt. It hurt a lot. 

_ I’m sorry, Addie. _

_ Let’s go, Wanda. I’ll meet you on the street corner. _ Adelaide texted Clint and Scott to tell them that Vincent was a no-show and disappeared into the crowded streets.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Someone sat down next to her on the couch, and Adelaide looked up from her phone, where she was texting Lilly and Rachel. She was met with her father’s smiling face. “What’re you doing, kotenok?”

“Nothing much. Just talking to Rachel and Lilly.”

“You up for some fun?” he asked. She gave him a suspicious look.

“What kind of fun, dear father?”

“The kind that requires a jacket and shoes?” She smiled and nodded.

“Sure.” She ran to her room and got aforementioned items before returning. “Where’re we going?” she asked, telling her friends she had to go before putting her phone in her pocket.

“You’ll see.” He took her down to the garage and hopped into the Impala and starting it up. He drove through downtown Manhattan and out into the rest of New York City before heading even farther out of town to the rural areas.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“We can’t just drive?” he replied.

“Well, we can, of course. I was just wondering if there was a purpose here, or you just wanted to spend time with me.”

“Both, rukavitsy.” She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath in Russian. “Watch your language, kotenok. Don’t want Stevie to hear that kind of language,” he teased.

“Um, excuse me. I was saying what a prat you’ve turned into in the past few years! You’ve called me that nickname more times in three years than in my entire life! It’s bad enough you made a nickname for a nickname!” Bucky laughed and grinned over at her.

“Love you, printsessa.”

“Love you too, Papa.” They drove in silence for several minutes, that faint sound of music playing from the radio to fill the lack of noise.

“How long has it been?” Bucky asked suddenly. Addie sighed.

“Four months.”

“And nobody’s heard from him?” A head shake.

“Not even Rachel, and she lives next to him. She even called him mom to check on him, but they were out of town that week.”

“Have you tried? I know he was your friend too.”

“Yes. I’ve sent him several messages, but he’s not answering.”

“Well, I’m sure he’s working through it, too.”

“I know, Daddy. But don’t you think it’s odd that he’s shut out Killian and Rachel and Lilly too? I mean, I can understand avoiding me, but them? They were all friends before I came along. That’s just weird.” Bucky was silent for a bit longer.

“You don’t have to wait on him to move on, you know,” he said to her. “I understand being worried about his silence, but you don’t have to wait to know that Vincent’s okay before getting on with your life.”

“I know. I just—” Her voice trailed off.

“—just what, kotenok?”

“Haven’t found the right one yet. He was great, Daddy. A gentleman just like you and Uncle Steve and Uncle Clint wanted, fun just like Uncle Sam and Uncle Scott wanted, understanding like Auntie Nat said she wanted. He was literally every check box in the ‘Boyfriend Material’ list. I just wish it hadn’t ended like it did.” A hand gripped hers tightly, and she looked over at her dad with watery eyes.

“I know, detka, I know. And I’m sorry.” He squeezed her hand tightly, and they drove on in silence again. Suddenly, Adelaide’s phone rang. She pulled it out to see Killian’s face on the screen.

“Do you mind?” she asked her dad, and he shook her head. “Killian?” she asked when she answered the phone. “You never call me. What’s wrong?”

“How soon can you get to General Hospital?” he asked, and Adelaide sat up straight in worry at the tone of his voice.

“Um, I don’t know, thirty minutes? Maybe more? Why?” She looked at her dad, who was giving her a concerned look.

“You’ve got to get here  _ right now _ .”

“I’m outside NYC, Killian. There’s no way I can get to General right now.”

“Then call Pietro to come get you. You have to get here  _ quick. _ ” Her dad turned the car around and floored it. There was literally no one around for miles, so they took off down the street.

“Killian, you’re avoiding the question. Why do I need to be at the hospital?”

“Because Vincent’s here. We finally got in touch with him.”

“What? Why is he—? What? Killian, you better start talking, gosh darn it.” Bucky huffed a tense laugh at that, but he kept driving.

“There’s a toll road I can take,” he said to her while she waited for Killian to respond. “It’ll cut about fifteen minutes off of our time.” She nodded.

“Killian, answer me.”

“There’s no way you’re going to believe me,” he answered.

“Try me.”

“He got beat up. He just showed up on a subway train heading towards Brooklyn, beaten and bloody.” Adelaide gasped, a hand flying to her mouth.

“Is he okay?” she asked. “Do they know who did it?”

“Addie, there’s too much. Just get here soon, and I’ll tell you everything. How soon can you—?”

“Thirty minutes. We’ll be there soon.”

“Okay. Hurry.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide jumped out of the car, letting her dad go park while she ran inside to find Killian. He met her at the front desk and took her back to the private waiting room Vincent’s parents were in, as well as Rachel and Lilly. The two girls jumped up to hug her, and the four friends went into the hallway to talk. “Okay, I’m here. Start talking,” she ordered, looking at the three anxiously.

“Vincent’s mom said that he’s been acting weird for several months now,” Rachel started. “Going out late, coming in early, grades floundering a bit, lying—everything that’s not his norm, he did.”

“Then, about three days ago, she said she got a letter,” Lilly continued. “There was no return address, and it was from Vincent, saying not to look for him, and his room was empty when she went to check on him.”

“And she didn’t call us?” Addie exclaimed.

“No, because it also said not to tell anyone about it,” Killian answered. “Of course, Mr. Samuel found out when he got home that night, but she was so scared that she didn’t tell anyone. She didn’t even call the police. Well, this morning about 10:00, someone called in that there was a boy on the train heading into Brooklyn that looked like he’s been severely abused or beaten, and an ambulance came to collect him. They found two things on him when they checked his pockets: his driver’s license, and a letter.”

“A letter?” Adelaide asked.

“Addie, it’s addressed to you,” Rachel said, giving her a sad look. Adelaide felt her heart stop. She phone buzzed again, and she looked down to see a text from her dad.

“Killian, can you go get my dad?” she asked shakily. He nodded and left while Adelaide stepped into the waiting room again, going over to Vincent’s parents.

“Oh, Addie!” his mom exclaimed, jumping up to hug her. “Thank you for coming!”

“Of course, Mrs. Carloynn. How is he?”

“They haven’t told us anything yet.” Just then, Killian and Bucky entered the room, and Bucky came over to greet the two adults while Adelaide sat down next to Rachel. Bucky came over and sat on her other side, and everyone waited in tense silence for a moment.

_ There was a letter on Vincent when they found him, _ she said to her dad.

_ That’s weird. _

_ It had my name on it.  _ Bucky’s eyebrows went up slightly.

_ That’s even weirder. Have you seen it yet? _

_ No. They might not even let me see it. _

_ They probably will, if his parents have anything to say about it _ . A doctor came in at that moment.

“Are you the family of Vincent Barkley?” he asked. Everyone nodded. “Well, he is out of surgery. He’s lost a lot of blood, and there are three broken ribs, as well as a broken arm. He has multiple bruises on his face and torso, like he’s been hit repeatedly. Would any of you know anything about this?” They shook their heads.

“We haven’t talked to Vincent in months,” Rachel said. “He hasn’t been talking to us at all.”

“And he left the house three days ago, and I haven’t seen him since,” his mother said. The doctor nodded.

“Has Adelaide Barnes come yet?” Addie raised her hand.

“That’s me, sir,” she said.

“Are you aware that your name was on a letter found on Mr. Barkley’s person?” She nodded. “Do you wish to see it?”

“I would like to, yes. I’m curious as to what’s on it.”

“I will see about getting that taken care of. Mr. Barkley is in recovery now, but family can see him.” His parents got up and followed the doctor out while the rest of them sat in tense silence.

“Papa,” Adelaide said to Bucky, who looked over at her.

“Yes?”

“Mozhem li my nazvat' dyadya Toni, chtoby uvidet', yesli on pozvolit Vinsent ostat'sya na bashne v vosstanovlenii? Roditeli Vinsenta ne smogut pozvolit' sebe eti bol'nichnyye scheta.” Her father nodded while Rachel, Lilly, and Killian looked at her in astonishment. It’s not like they hadn’t heard her speak Russian before, but it was still a shock to them. (Can we call Uncle Tony to see if he’ll let Vincent stay at the Tower in recovery? Vincent’s parents won’t be able to afford these hospital bills.)

“YA budu nazyvat' yego, kak tol'ko my znayem nechto bol'sheye,” he answered. Adelaide nodded and smiled at him. (I’ll call him as soon as we know something more.)

“Spasibo, papa.” (Thank you, Daddy.)

“Dobro pozhalovat', kukly.” (You’re welcome, doll.)


	23. Chapter 23

The next hour was one of the most stressful in Adelaide’s life, and that was taking into account everything she’d been through with her dad and Hydra. After Vincent’s parents left, nobody would tell them anything about her friend. She got several encouraging messages from her family, and Tony said that once he was able to be moved, Vincent was more than welcome to be sent to the Tower’s Infirmary for the duration of his recovery. That had gotten him a promise of two weeks of shawarma. Her phone rang all of a sudden, and she stepped out to answer it. “Hello?”

“Hey, Addie.”

“Cooper?”

“Yep. Who else? Did you even check your caller ID?”

“No. It’s been kinda hectic over here.”

“Yeah, that’s what Dad said. This is your ex, right? The one who cheated?”

“Cooper,” she groaned.

“What? I’ve known you since we were kids! We practically grew up together. I think I’m entitled to be a bit upset.” She huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes. “Don’t roll your eyes at me! I will come through this phone and beat you up!”

“Or try to, at least,” Addie replied, laughing a bit more.

“I can beat you, and you know it.”

“Sure, Coop. Sure you can.”

“Look, I’m here for you if you need me, okay? I can be on the next plane to New York in two hours.”

“Thanks, Cooper,” Adelaide said, smiling happily. “It means a lot to me. You don’t have to, though. I think I’ll be okay.”

“Alright, but I want you to come visit me soon, alright? It’s been entirely too long since I could tease you to your face.”

“You mean since I beat you at Battleship in front of your whole family,” she corrected.

“I still don’t know how you do that! Are you sure you don’t cheat?”

“Cooper, I swear on my life I have never cheated at Battleship. You’re just entirely too predictable.”

“See you, Addie-bear.”

“Bye, Deuce Coop.” She hung up and stepped back inside, smiling at her dad and friends as she sat back down. Rachel’s phone went off, and she looked down before standing up and facing them.

“It’s my dad. He said I need to get home before it gets too dark outside. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Hugs were exchanged, and she left. Ten minutes later, Vincent’s dad stepped into the room.

“How is he?” Killian asked, standing up.

“He’s stable, for now,” Mr. Samuel answered. “Addie, this is for you.” He held out a folded piece of paper to her. “They found it on him. I got it from the doctor, and my curiosity is killing me, but nobody’s read it, I promise.” Adelaide nodded and stood up, taking the paper from him with a small smile. She flipped it over to see her name on it and ripped open the tape holding it closed. She opened it and read what was on it, feeling her whole world stop. An icy bolt of fear ripped down her spine, and she dropped the paper to the floor.

“Addie? Addie, what’s wrong?” Lilly asked.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Killian said. Bucky stood up and took her hand.

“Kotenok?” Her eyes snapped up to his, and he saw pure, unbridled fear in her eyes, a look he’d never seen before on her. “What did it say?” She shook her head and pulled away from him.

“Ya idu domoy,” she said shakily before sprinting out of the room.

“Addie!” Bucky called after her, running out of the room to follow her. Killian bent down and picked up the letter, seeing one line written on it, but he couldn’t read it. It was in Russian.

_ Vam nravitsya vashe nastoyashcheye, domashneye zhivotnoye delat'? _


	24. Chapter 24

Adelaide gasped raggedly as she leaned against the car, her head in her hands. A million horrible memories filled her head, and she couldn’t breathe. The world was spinning too fast. Tony. She had to get to Uncle Tony. She had to tell them what was happening. Oh, heavens above, Vincent! What had they done to him? Was he—? What if—? She couldn’t breathe. Oh, she couldn’t breathe. “Addie!” a voice called. She knew them. Who was that? She knew that voice. “Addie, honey, it’s me. C’mon, doll, it’s Daddy. Come on, sweetheart, look at me.” Oh, it’s Daddy. “Look at me, doll, c’mon.” Gentle hands pulled her hands away from her face, and she was met with the blue-grey of her dad’s eyes. They were full of concern. “Addie, what’s wrong? C’mon, talk to me. What did it say? What was on the letter? I’ve never seen you look so scared.”

“We—we have to get back to the Tower,” she gasped, her voice shaking terribly. “Daddy, we have to. Right now. We have to go.”

“Okay, okay, we’ll go. Do you want to say goodbye?”

“No! We might not have time! We have to go! Now!”

“Alright, kotenok. Okay. Get in the car; we’ll go right now. Just tell your friends where we’re going.” Adelaide typed out a text to Lilly and Killian with shaking hands, but she finally got it sent and shook the entire way back to the Tower. As her dad parked the Impala, she ran into the elevator and shook as she waited for her dad to run in. “FRIDAY, call a meeting. Everyone.”

“Yes, Sgt. Barnes.” By the time they reached the meeting room, everyone was there, looking confused.

“What’s the emergency, Snow Queen?” Tony asked Bucky.

“Ask Addie. She’s the one who’s freaking out.” All eyes went to her. She was shaking so bad that Wanda came over and took her arm, helping her to sit down in one of the chairs.

“What’s going on, myshka?” Pietro asked. Adelaide took several breaths before she started to talk. Even then, her voice shook terribly.

“There was a letter in Vincent’s pocket when they found him.”

“A letter?” Steve asked, looking confused. She nodded.

“It was addressed to me.” Small sounds of surprise were made throughout the room. “I—I opened it at the hospital.”

“What did it say?” Natasha pushed gently. Adelaide started shaking even worse.

“It only had one sentence on it,” she answered, her face draining of all color at the memory. “Vam nravitsya vashe nastoyashcheye, domashneye zhivotnoye delat'?” Natasha, Bucky, Clint Wanda, and Pietro all gasped, their eyes going wide.

“What? What does that mean?” Steve asked.

“It means, ‘Do you like your present, pet?’” Natasha translated.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Scott asked.

“Back in Hydra,” Bucky answered, “that was her name. More specifically, ‘Soldier’s Pet.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, if she’d thought her family over-protective before had been bad, Adelaide was sure that she was about to see it get much worse. Eyes widened, and there were actually sounds that seemed just this side of growling. “They called you a  _ pet _ ?” Clint asked angrily. She nodded.

“I wasn’t important to them other than another way to control Daddy,” she answered, not too upset about that. She’d come to terms with that fact a while ago. “I think, down the road, they wanted me to be the next Winter Soldier, but we never got the chance to find that out, thank goodness.”

“How long were you with them?” Wanda asked. Adelaide looked to her dad for confirmation.

“Six years, technically?” she asked, and Bucky counted off in his head.

“I think that’s right. But if we’re logical about it, it’s more than that, isn’t it?” Adelaide counted on her fingers for a second.

“Yeah, literally, it was twenty-eight years, but it was basically only six.”

“What do you mean, literally?” Scott asked.

“Daddy wasn’t the only one frozen for long periods of time,” she answered. “I was too, sometimes. I’m actually technically in my forties by now.” Yep, that was going to take a moment to sink in.

“So, we have three Capsicles, now?” Tony said, making light of the situation.

“Call me that, I’m resetting FRIDAY’s hard drive,” she warned.

“Fair enough.”

“So, what do we do, now?” Steve asked. “Hydra’s obviously after Addie.”

“We might have the upper hand with that,” Adelaide said. “When we left Hydra, I was still pretending to be deaf and mute, so they don’t know that I can hear what they’re saying and tell others about it. And, I can read lips pretty well, so that’s another plus. And, they don’t know about my extra training. Hopefully, anyway.”

“You pretended to be deaf and mute for six years?” Bruce asked, looking a bit surprised. Adelaide nodded again.

“She’s a very good actress,” Bucky said. “She even had me fooled for a long time. Especially on the speaking part.”

“I could do it again, but all of you would have to start treating me like I can’t talk or hear.” Everyone agreed, and when Adelaide left the room, she was back into her old role, slipping into it with such fluidity that Bucky was slightly worried about her. She smiled at him when she caught him giving her and weird look and shook her head slightly.

_ Don’t worry, Papa, _ she said into his head.  _ They definitely don’t know I can do this. We can still talk. _ He smiled at her and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head gently.

_ I love you, kotenok. _

_ I love you too, Daddy. Don’t worry, we’ll stop them. They won’t win this time. We’ll make sure of it. _

_\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

From that moment on, Tony couldn’t get Vincent moved to Avengers’ Tower fast enough. He gave Mr. and Mrs. Barkley a room in the Tower near the Infirmary, and the doctors that often took care of the Avengers when they were injured began making sure that there would be no lasting damages and just generally looking after Vincent during his recovery. He hadn’t woken up yet, but that was okay, because his body needed time to heal. Steve, Natasha, Bucky, and T’Challa began looking for any signs of Hydra activity, and Adelaide helped where she could. She was a nervous wreck. Vincent had been attacked—kidnapped—because of her. Why now though? It’d been years since Steve and Natasha had taken down SHIELD and Hydra. Why would they come after her after all this time? She could hardly sleep for worry. Killian had given her the letter she’d dropped, giving her a concerned look as he did. She promised that one day she’d explain what it said, but for now, she just gave it to Bruce to study and see if it would give them a lead as to where Hydra was hiding out. A week after the debatable, Vincent woke up. His parents, Rachel, Lilly, and Killian crowded into his room to see him during the next three days, but Adelaide kept her distance for now, only going to see him when he was asleep. Plus, she’d told her friends and Vincent’s parents everything, from her childhood to Hydra to what was going on now, so they knew everything. Yes, there were some freak-outs, but everyone agreed. For the next indefinite period of time, Adelaide could neither speak nor hear. It was actually shocking how easily she’d slipped into her old role. Everyone had to learn sign-language, though, because there was no other way for her to “communicate” normally to them besides writing everything down, and that took too long. A week after that, with still no news on Hydra, and it seemed like Addie had never been able to talk at all. Adelaide didn’t even use her powers that much, not wanting to give herself any chances of being discovered more easily by Hydra. She did when it was just her and her dad, but that was usually it. Finally, a month after Vincent was found in the train car, a letter was left at the receptions desk of the Tower, addressed to Adelaide. Everyone gathered in the room while she, Bucky, and Natasha read it. “What does it say?” Steve asked after a few minutes.

“They want her to turn herself in,” Natasha said lowly.

“Well, I always knew they were crazy, but this proves how crazy they really are,” Scott said, shaking his head. “As if she’d actually go willingly back to them.”

“There’s more,” Natasha continued. “If she doesn’t go to the designated spot in twenty-four hours, they’ll go after more of her friends. And if she still refuses to go, they’ll start coming after us.”

“They do know that we’re all super heroes, right?” T’Challa asked. “Do they think that we will give her up without a fight?”

“No, they’re counting on it,” Steve said, and Adelaide could practically see the gears turning in his head. “They know that we won’t just let her go, so she’ll either have to sneak out, or we’ll go with her. And we’ll leave her friends unguarded. So, even if she goes to them, they’ll still have leverage.”

“Why don’t we just split up?” Wanda suggested. “Some stay here to guard the others, and everyone else goes with her?”

“No, Hydra’s smarter than that,” Bucky said. “They’ll send so many troops here, that any less than all of us will result in defeat. It’s her, or nothing. They want her back. Badly.” Adelaide put her hand on her father’s arm, and the two had a conversation without speaking, as they often did. Bucky sighed and nodded, and Adelaide stood up and left the room. Several questions were sent Bucky’s way, but Adelaide went down the hallways and up a flight of stairs to a familiar hallway. She stopped at a door and knocked. It opened to reveal tired eyes, but a smile broke out when they saw who it was.

“Addie!” Vincent exclaimed, hugging her tightly. “I’ve missed you! I thought you would never come!” He ushered her into the room Tony had given him in the Tower and sat down on the sofa, letting her sit on the other side. “Look, I know we have a lot of straightening out to do, about everything, but that can wait. Killian told me what’s happening. What are you going to do? About Hydra, that is.” Adelaide started signing at him slowly, so he could read them.

_ I’m turning myself in. It’s the only way to keep everyone safe. I’m going alone, and I’m going tomorrow. _

“Addie, you can’t! You can’t go back there!” Vincent exclaimed, eyes going wide in fright. “You—the things they did, Addie, there aren’t words. I—I can’t let you go back to them. If you thought what they did to your dad is bad, they’re ten times worse now! They’re angry and vengeful, and they want to use you to do it! You can’t go back there!” Adelaide grabbed his hands in hers and made him look at her.

_ Do you trust me? _

“What? Of course I do!”

_ Trust that I’ll be okay and come back, please? We still have things to talk about. _ Vincent was clearly upset, but he knew that he couldn’t stop her.

“You may not be his blood daughter, but you are as stubborn as your father sometimes, you know that?” Adelaide smiled and nodded, hugging him tightly.

_ Thank you. I’ll stop by when I get back, then we can talk for real. _

“I’m holding you to that,” Vincent said as she stood to leave. She smiled back at him, walking out the door and going to get a good night’s sleep. She was going to need it in order for her plan to work.


	25. Chapter 25

Adelaide stood alone on a pier overlooking the bay. It was dark, and cold, and there was no moon tonight, and she was in a bad part of town. Anyone else in their right minds would have been anywhere but here, but she had no choice. If she wanted everyone she loved to live, this was how she had to do it. Did she particularly  _ like _ this course of action? Absolutely not. But she was going to do it anyway. Everyone in her family had, at some point or another, done something that they didn’t want to do but had to do it anyway. She figured it was high time to add herself onto that list anyway. A rough hand grabbed her shoulder, and she grabbed it tightly, spinning around and driving her knee into the person’s chest with frightening speed. Before whoever it was had time to react more than a pained gasp, she hauled them up and punched them in the face, sending them flying into the water. A bright light shone in her eyes, and two masked men came up to her, guns at the ready. A black car drove up, and one of the doors opened. Adelaide threw her hair back over her shoulder and walked over to it, climbing in smoothly and staring at the man seated across from her. She didn’t want to be here; there was no reason to try to prove the contrary. The man gave her a cruel smile as the door slammed shut and the car drove off. “Welcome back, pet.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a terrible drive, one Adelaide hoped to never have to relive again. She had to change vehicles so many times, it was ridiculous. They had driven in circles all across town and driven through neighborhoods and parking lots and gone every which way so much that she felt like she was getting her own personal tour of the city. Of course, that wasn’t what this was, but she had to find joy somewhere, right? The car abruptly halted, and she was led out to a helicopter and motioned at to sit down. She obeyed, glaring at the man who climbed in in front of her. “You read lips very well, correct?” he said. She stared at his mouth, reading his words, and nodded. “Good. Then you and I will be able to reach an agreement. You understand the consequences, should you disobey?” Again, she nodded. “Then, let me be the first to congratulate you on your successful return to Hydra, pet. I hope we shall work well together. I am Heirr Gunter, the new head of Hydra. It was such a momentous occasion, I had to greet you myself. We are going to your new base of operations. I hope you will find your new home suitable. If not, too bad.” He was quiet after that, and she looked out the windows at the darkened world around her. She couldn’t even make out the lights of the city anymore. They must be out over the sea. She sighed, thinking of home and her father. Bucky must be worried sick by now. While he had known that she was planning on leaving, she hadn’t said goodbye. It would have hurt too much, and she might have changed her mind, or worse, he would have followed her. She wouldn’t have him going back to Hydra; it would never happen as long as she was alive. It was the real reason she was doing this. Yes, protecting her other family and friends was important to her, but she knew that Hydra would never kill their greatest success. Her father would be dragged back, no matter how hard he fought, into their clutches, and they would reestablish everything that she and T’Challa and the others had worked so hard to get rid of. The Winter Soldier would rise again, and Hydra would be sure to never let him go this time. She had to keep him safe, as he had done to her all these years. He may not need protecting, but someone had to look out for him. She was so deep into her thoughts that she didn’t realize they were landing until the helicopter touched down. She looked to Heirr Gunter, and he motioned for her to get out. She obeyed and stood silently next to the landing area for instructions. “Good, you know to obey orders first,” Gunter said. “That will save us some time. Come.” He led her into a brick building and down several flights of stairs. Then, they went through a few hallways before he stopped in front of a door. “This is your room,” he said. “Wait here. Someone will come for you later.” Adelaide entered quietly. Not to her surprise, it only held the bare minimum of things to meet her needs. A bed, table, one chair, a lamp, a door less closet for clothes and weapons storage, and (this did surprise her) a bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. Barely more than her old room at Hydra had held. She sighed again and stood in the middle of the room, waiting patiently. The door opened, and a guard walked in with a bundle in his arms.

“Put these on,” he grunted as he threw them at her. She caught them and nodded. He stood, waiting. She looked at him before realizing that he wasn’t going anywhere. Stepping towards the bathroom, she saw him tighten his grip on his gun. She shook her head, going to get changed, but leaving the door open. Apparently, they thought she was going to make a run for it. She supposed that it was smart of them, but she was smarter than that. She hated the outfit they had given her, but there was no choice for her in the matter.

_ Daddy would have a heart attack if he saw me in this, _ she thought to herself as she stepped out of the bathroom. The guard looked her up and down appreciatively, and Adelaide forced herself to not shiver under his gaze. She’d knock him unconscious if she’d thought it’d do her any good.

“Come on,” the guard grunted after a moment. She followed after him, her heels clicking softly against the tile floor. He led her through another hallway before stopping at another door and sliding a key card next to it. It opened with a click, and he motioned her through. She stepped through the door and looked at the monitors in front of her.

“You look marvelous, pet,” Gunter said as he looked her over. Remained looking at the monitors. He wasn’t in her line of sight. She couldn’t acknowledge him yet. “So, you really can’t hear anything,” he muttered. “I was told the contrary, that you could hear perfectly fine.” Suddenly, a bang went off nearby, but she didn’t react to that either. “Wonderful.” He stepped into her line of vision and handed her a folder. “Here is your mission. This man has important plans for a very important project we are going to undertake, but he is unable to reach the delivery point without being followed. He is hosting a party tomorrow night. You are to infiltrate the party and retrieve the drive with the plans from his office without being caught. Casualties will most likely be inevitable. Do as you must. You leave immediately.” With a nod, Adelaide took the file and turned to follow the guard who was showing her where to go. She entered the plane and looked over the files with a sharp eye as it took off and headed out over the sea.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Was it okay for Adelaide to say that she  _ hated _ Hydra? It was probably a logical step, since they had sort of ruined her life thus far. Besides letting her meet her dad, nothing good had ever come from their existence, really. Take right now, for instance. She was wearing a dress that made her feel practically naked, even if it was just nude-colored fabric (one can only live with Steve Rogers for so long before they started to dress to his standards. She was sending up an apology every five minutes for this one. Somewhere, Steve Rogers’s dress-code violation senses were tingling, and the poor guy didn’t know that his beloved niece was wearing something that would surely send both himself and her father into cardiac arrest). The heels she was forced to wear weren’t comfortable at all (though the tiny knife in the heel of each shoe were a bonus), and the knife strapped to her inner thigh was uncomfortable. Oh, and the five security guards surrounding her at the current moment. That was bad too. All around, this just wasn’t a good night for her.  _ I don’t suppose this is going to be written off as a misunderstanding,  _ she thought. Yeah, probably not, considering the USB drive tucked safely in her clutch. Oh, this wasn’t good at all. She didn’t  _ want _ to kill anybody, if she could help it, but Gunter was right when he said casualties were inevitable. These men weren’t going to hold back, so she couldn’t either. In a whirl of sparkles and dark hair, she attacked first. The poor guys didn’t even know what hit them. She checked all of them for heartbeats, and one man had a broken neck, but he was still alive. She breathed a silent sigh of relief and hurried out the side door of the building. When she reached the van, she climbed in and shut the door, nodding to the men inside.

“Give us the drive,” the one on her left said. She reached into her purse and handed it to him. He nodded. “Good job, Pet.” She was allowed to rest on the way back, but she chose not to. There would be time for that later.

_ Wanda? Wanda, are you there? _

_ Addie? Is that you? _

_ Who else would it be? The President? _

_ Yep. It’s definitely you. Are you okay? Is everything alright? You left in the middle of the night. Barnes is beside himself. _

_ I’m as okay as I can be in this situation. Listen, I just went on a mission into a building in western Germany, the home of Fredrick Benton. I stole some plans on a drive that Hydra wants. I don’t know what’s on it, but you might want to have Uncle Tony check into it. _

_ I will. Do you need anything? Is there anything we can do? _

_ Look after Daddy for me. That’s all I ask. Keep yourselves safe, and look after him. I can handle everything here. _

_ Okay, Addie. Be careful, please. _

_ I will, Wanda. I promise. Goodbye. _ By this time, she had boarded the helicopter to take her back to the Hydra base, and they were halfway back to their destination. Once they landed, she was sent back to her room to change and clean up. She had blood on her hands from punching people a few times during her mission. Look, if she wouldn’t let Killian look at her that way when they first met, she  _ certainly _ wasn’t going to let  _ strangers _ look at her like she was a piece of meat to be devoured. She blamed the dress, she really did. She wanted to get  _ out of it right freakin’ now! _ She quickly showered and dressed into the sweatpants and black tank top. She sat on the chair in her room and waited. For all she knew, it could be a night of late-night training. The door opened, and Gunter walked in, a proud smile on his face.

“Good job, Pet. You did well for your first mission back, and so soon after returning. You have earned yourself a good rest. That is all for tonight.” With that, he left the room, and Adelaide climbed into bed, staring up at the ceiling above her. She sighed heavily. This might be harder than she’d originally thought. With another sigh, she rolled onto her side and curled up atop the blankets. They were too rough to sleep in.

_ Goodnight, Daddy. I love you. _

_\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Two months. She’d been in Hydra for two months. It’d been terrible. She’d barely had any rest between missions. Maybe Hydra was making up for lost time or something. She’d gone on extraction missions, espionage missions, escorting missions, and pretty much everything in between. She was  _ tired _ . She missed her family, though she talked to Wanda quite regularly to let her know what she’d done on missions in case it worked against them in some way, but so far it’d been nothing major. She hadn’t spoken to her dad any, though. It was too hard. She missed him far too much to torture both of them like that. To have so much contact and yet be unable to see each other. She hated Hydra so much. For what they did to her father, to her, to her family, what they threatened to do to her friends. She hated them with all of her being, but she had to act the part of the obedient weapon for just a bit longer. Just a little longer, and she could carry out her plan. Just a bit longer. Then she could act.


	26. Chapter 26

Adelaide threw the guard over her shoulder and pinned him to the ground. He refused to stay down, however, and she had to snap his arm. The man yelled out in pain, but she didn’t let him up. She wasn’t supposed to. Finally, he tapped out with his other arm, and she stood up, letting the man get to his feet, cradling his broken arm. He shuffled off, and another man took his place. Addie dropped into the ready position, letting the man make the first move. He lunged at her, and she swiftly dodged, kicking the man in his leg and sending him crashing to the ground. He rolled back up to his feet, and he crouched, ready to attack again. She jumped at him, foot out and fist swinging. He deflected both blows, but he wasn’t ready for her to swing her legs around his waist and knock him to the ground. It went back and forth like this for many long and tiring minutes until Adelaide finally knocked him unconscious and sent him to the ground for the last time. She stood above him, looking down at his still form with a blank expression on her face. Her training was done. She was ready.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add this outfit to the list of ones that Hydra had made her wear that she hated with all of her being. Now, the dress  _ was _ beautiful, and the boots  _ were _ nice, but it was the  _ way _ she had to wear them and  _ why _ that made her upset. Gosh darn it, she was not some desperate floozy! She had standards (strongly influenced by Uncle Steve and Uncle Clint), and this outfit was not helping anything! She didn’t want to do this mission, either. It went against everything she’d even been taught, even during Hydra back in her childhood she’d had this knowledge. She hadn’t known what her father did back then, but she knew now, and she knew that she didn’t want to do what they had made her father do. It wasn’t who she was, and it never would be. She’d been raised to protect and defend herself, even though the lessons had gone farther than that. She’d been trained to be tactile in her maneuvers and what actions cause what responses. She’d been taught right and wrong and what was good and what wasn’t. She’d come dangerously close to crossing those lines in the past few months, but she couldn’t and wouldn’t cross them now. It was almost time, though. Soon, she’d be able to act. A few more days. That was all she had to wait. She missed her father. She missed her aunts and uncles. She missed her family. She missed her friends. She missed her dad. It hurt how much she missed him. He’d been there for her since she could remember. Now, she’d been without him for months, knowing he was alive and safe, and it was torture. Adelaide banished that train of thought. That was an emotional spiral that she couldn’t afford to go down. Not now. Not when Foster would walk in at any second. She hated the man almost as much as she hated Gunter. He was responsible for giving her the missions. She hated him with her whole being. The door suddenly opened, and Foster walked in. He’d put too much gel in his hair again. It was sickening. She was, quite frankly, done in every sense of the word with this man. He looked her up and down, and if she hadn’t been biding her time, she would have removed every memory he had ever had from his twisted mind, as well as snapped his wrist in two. “You looked wonderful, Pet,” he said, and Adelaide had to fight to keep the grimace off of her face. “This is your next mission. Complete it as soon as possible.” He handed her a file and gave her one last look before turning to leave. As he left the door, he paused and glanced back over his shoulder. “And by the way, Merry Christmas.” She looked at him in confusion. “Oh, didn’t you know? It’s Christmas Eve.” With that, he left, and Adelaide sank down onto her chair, putting her face in her hands. She wasn’t home on Christmas Eve. She’d never felt so alone. Even when her father had been in cryofreeze back in Wakanda, she’d had Uncle Steve, Uncle Clint, Uncle Scott, Wanda, and T’Challa. Now, she had no one. Not with her, anyway. No one that counted.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide fluffed her hair one final time as she waited for the car to stop. The Hydra agent driving the limo she was in watched her in the mirror as she reapplied her lipstick and checked her eyeshadow. She had to look the part for this mission. Everything she had been working towards had been leading up to this moment. She  _ would _ be successful with this mission. Her survival depended on it. The car stopped, and the driver turned around. “You know what you are to do?” Adelaide nodded. “Your target is inside. Look for the gold jacket. If he makes it through the night, your friends  _ will _ die. Don’t bring any unnecessary attention to yourself, but you knew that already. I will meet you back here in five hours. Be here, or else.” Adelaide nodded again, and she exited the car as the door was opened for her. She stepped out, looking up at the large house above her. She felt the weight of the gun in her bag, and she calmly walked up the stairs of the house. The doorman took her coat from her, and she gave him a small nod of thanks before handing him her invitation. He examined it before motioning her farther inside. With graceful steps, she entered the ballroom, where there were people dancing, eating, and talking. There were many people at this event. In fact, Adelaide counted at least two hundred people, just roughly. The party was, believe it or not, Hydra’s Christmas party. The fact that such a terrible organization held Christmas parties, at any other time, would have been cause to laugh, but this entire thing was a cover-up for Adelaide’s mission: kill Paul Heifner, one of Gunter’s administrators. He was rumored to be working with the remnants of SHIELD to sabotage Hydra. As Adelaide stood on the balcony overlooking the party, she looked for the gold jacket Heifner was supposed to be wearing. She had a picture of him memorized, but the quality hadn’t been as good as one could hope. Finally, she spotted him talking to a man and two women near the small orchestra playing music for the dancers. She made her way down the stairs and to the ballroom floor, carefully observing her target. Just this last mission, then she’d be able to enact her plan. Just this one. All she had to do was take care of Heifner. She walked up to his side, and pretended to trip.   
  
“Are you alright, miss?” Heifner asked as he caught her. Adelaide nodded, giving him a smile. Heifner took her hands, looking her over for injury. “Haven’t hurt yourself, have you?” he asked. She shook her head as she forcefully squeezed his hands before turning and walking away. She slipped away from the party and went into the first room on the left of the hallway, which was empty, as she’d expected. She closed the curtains quietly, and sat down in a chair. The gun weighed heavily in her hand as she held it. With a wave of her hand, the fire was lit and crackling merrily. Plus side to telekinesis—automatic manipulation of molecules. The door opened silently, and she looked up to see Heifner slipping inside and closing it behind her. Good. He’d taken her message seriously. “I know who you are,” he said in a low voice. She tilted her head at him, letting him continue. “You’re the Soldier’s Pet. I hadn’t believed that you’d really returned.” She smiled a bit. “So, you’re here to kill me, is that it?” She merely gave him a small smile. “I see. Well, I shall hope you’ll do your best to do so.” She stood up, letting him see the gun in her hand. His eyes widened. “Now, that’s a bit reckless, isn’t it? Someone will hear that gun go off, even with the silencer I’m sure you have with you.” She grinned. “Go on! Kill me then! I’m not going to run away.” She shook her head.   
  
“A mistake I’m sure you’ll not make again,” she said quietly. His eyes widened in shock.   
  
“I was told you couldn’t speak!”

“I can, and do much more. Now, you must listen to me, Mr. Heifner. We don’t have much time.” Heifer nodded. “You know who I am, but I know who you are. I know that SHIELD has sent you as a double agent, and I’m here to get you out.”

“How—?”

“We don’t have time for that. Now, do exactly as I say, and we’ll both make it home to see our families in time for Christmas.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gun went off with a bang, and Adelaide lowered it as the body fell to the floor with a thud. She drug it to the crackling fireplace and threw it in, watching quietly as the flames consumed it. With nimble fingers, she put her gun back in her gun and silently opened the door to the hallway, slipping out unseen. She returned to the party and went up the balcony again, looking over the party. No one seemed to have heard the gun go off, and she smiled to herself. She looked over to the man standing near the window, and he nodded to her. She returned the nod and left the party, collecting her coat at the door and leaving. Adelaide went to where the car was waiting and quietly slipped inside. The guard looked back at her. She nodded to him, and he started the engine, pulling out of his parking spot and heading back down the driveway. Adelaide quietly started counting in her head.  _ One. Two. Three. Four. Five. _ The car pulled out on the main road.  _ Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. _ A loud explosion shook the car, and Adelaide spun around to look back at the house. It was engulfed in flames, and smoke billowed out the upper windows. The agent swung the car around and headed back. When the two reached the remains of the house, even the cars of the visitors’ cars were engulfed in flames.

“Check for survivors!” the agent snapped at her. She nodded to him, going around the edge of the burning house. She saw someone hiding in the forest, and she nodded to them. The nod was returned, along with the cock of a gun. She smiled. Her job was done. She’d done it. Every single member of Hydra had been in that building; even the orchestra members had been Hydra agents. There was no way anyone had gotten out before the blast. Suddenly, a gun went off, and there was a thud behind her. She turned to find the agent who had driven her to the house on the ground. She check him for a pulse, but there wasn’t one. She turned back to the person in the bushes, and they motioned for her to leave. She nodded again, and Paul Heifner returned her nod. The job was done. Hydra was taken care of once and for all. They both had completed their respected missions. Paul Heifner was no longer a problem to Hydra, and Hydra had just crumbled. She turned and went back to her car, sliding into the drivers’ seat and driving away. It was time to go home.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide slammed the brakes on the car, swerving into the other lane to avoid hitting the person standing in the middle of the road. Once the car had finally stopped, she climbed out, a thousand questions on her lips, but none of them ever left her mouth. Instead, she stood quietly, looking at the person who had started this whole mess. “I suppose you’d like to know my real name, then, since I’m obviously not Vincent Barkley,” the man said. She glared at him. He still looked like Vincent, but common sense told her that he wasn’t. If anything, the German accent even further solidified it. “My name is Werner Sturgenhoff, Adelaide Barnes, and yes, I am the reason you were brought back to Hydra. I will say, the doctors did a marvelous job, don’t you think? Nobody noticed, not even his own parents!” She merely looked at him with all the hate she had. “Oh, I suppose I’m supposed to be intimidated by you, Adelaide. I’m not, sadly, but it is funny that you think I am. Why don’t you speak up, fräulein? I know you can talk? No one believed me when I told them, though. ‘She couldn’t speak then, and she can’t speak now. You need to lay off of the schnopz.’ Well, you and I both know that I’m perfectly fine. Can’t we have a civil conversation?” She remained stubbornly quiet. “Come now. It’s cold, and I’m hungry, and I’m sure you want to get home in time for Christmas.” Adelaide said nothing. “Very well. We shall do this now. I know you won’t kill me, Adelaide Barnes. You don’t want to be like your dear old daddy. You haven’t killed anyone, have you? You haven’t in any of your missions, and you won’t start now.” He jumped at her, and she nimbly leaped away, anger building in her chest. It was one thing to pretend to be her boyfriend and make her think he’d cheated on her. It was another thing entirely to call her father a murderer. She didn’t care  _ whose _ face he was wearing. He was going to regret ever messing with her life. The fight the two of them had was brutal, so many blows exchanged and dodged that soon both of them were bruised, a bit bloody, and tired. She finally got him pinned on the ground in a chokehold, and he couldn’t move. “You—won’t—kill—me,” he choked out.

“You’re right,” a new voice said. “She won’t. But I will.” Adelaide was pulled from him, and a shot rang out across the otherwise silent forest. She looked up in shock and started at Paul Heifner, who was blankly looked at the body in front of him. “Don’t worry, Miss Barnes. He’s not the first man I’ve killed, nor the last. But I know what he’s done, to you and your family, as well as countless others. He was a wanted man outside of being a Hydra agent. In fact, he was one of the reasons I was sent to be a double agent. Now, my mission is fully complete. Go on home, Miss Barnes, and I thank you for your help.” Adelaide stood up and hugged him, surprising the man.

“No, thank you,” she said happily, “and Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Miss Barnes. Now, off with you now! Get!” Adelaide climbed back into the car and drove off, waving to Mr. Heifner through the back window until he was out of sight.


	27. Chapter 27

Steve was at his wit’s end. It’d been months since Adelaide had disappeared to go back to Hydra, and his best friend was a mess. That first week, Bucky’d been alright. Yeah, he’d been a little withdrawn, but they all had been. She was their little girl, the light of their lives. The fact that all of them knew that she was willingly going back into Hydra to protect them and that they had no idea how to even begin to get her back. However, over the following weeks, Bucky had become more and more cut off from everyone. Even Steve couldn’t get him to leave the apartment. He’d come home one day from training with Natasha and Clint to find Bucky lying on Adelaide’s bed, having a nightmare like he hadn’t had since back before Wakanda. It’d been all downhill from there. Now, Bucky wouldn’t even leave bed. Steve didn’t know that last time he’d seen him eat or shower or anything other than sleep. He couldn’t get him to leave his room, even if just to go to the kitchen to eat. 

Wanda told him (privately) that Adelaide had contacted her about a mission that she’d been sent on. He’d covertly got the information to Tony, and Tony had figured out what was on the drive and contacted the people who could deal with it the best. Wanda would every-so-often give them more information, but it was never anything personal. They never knew if she was hurt, or upset, or telling them that she missed them. Of course, they all knew that she missed them, because they missed her, but it was still painful. Steve knew how much he hurt with her gone, but he was sure that was nowhere near the pain that his best friend was going through. As long as he’d known him, Bucky had been extremely protective of those he loved. His sisters, his parents, his friends—he’d always put their well-being in front of his. He’d done it more so for Adelaide. Steve had never seen his friend act like he did for anyone other than Addie. He’d willingly leave Steve in the dust if it meant that Adelaide was safe. And Steve was okay with that. She made Bucky the happiest that he’d ever been. 

Now that she was gone, he was an empty shell, one that Steve or anybody else couldn’t fill. Now, it was Christmas Eve, and Steve refused to let him wallow in whatever depressing thoughts he was having for this night. Tony had forgone the party this year. No one was really in the mood for it. Instead, everyone brought what little family they had, and they were all going to celebrate Christmas together. But Bucky wouldn’t move. When Steve told Scott, Wanda, and Clint as much, Scott held up a finger while looking around the room. “I may have an idea,” he said, walking off for a minute. He came back with Cassie close on his heels. Scott’s daughter had blossomed over the past few years into a beautiful young girl. She was a few years younger than Adelaide, but Bucky absolutely adored her. Clint waved over his son Nathaniel, who was also a favorite of Bucky’s, and the adults explained what they needed from them. Cassie and Nathaniel quickly agreed and hurried off towards the elevators. 

Fifteen minutes later, the doors of the elevator opened to reveal both children with a firm grip on each of Bucky’s arm, happily pulling him along. His hair was still a bit wet from what was obviously a very quick shower, and his eyes were a bit dull, but he was smiling at the two children, and that was all Steve asked for. Cassie never left Bucky’s side the entire night. Nathaniel flitted around the room, but he always came back for a few minutes. Once everyone had finished eating and all the dishes were put away, the children were herded off to bed so they could be up bright and early for presents. Steve and Bucky walked back up to their apartment, and Steve was surprised to see that Bucky didn’t immediately head for his bedroom. Instead, he went to the kitchen and started pulling things out of the cabinets.

“Whatcha doin’, Buck?” Steve asked.

“Hot chocolate. Want some?”

“Sure.” Once the drinks were made, Bucky slipped on a heavy coat and stepped out onto the little balcony off of the living room. Steve joined him, and the two drank their cocoa in silence. Steve looked up at the sky and noticed something. “Look, Buck,” Steve said. “It’s snowing.” His friend looked up, and the two watched as the snow started to lightly dust the world around them. Finally, they both went back inside to warm up and get ready for bed. As Bucky stepped into his room, Steve stopped him. “Thank you for coming down to the party,” he said. “It was good to see you up and about.” Bucky gave him a small smile in return.

“It made Cassie happy,” he answered. “That’s all I went for.” With that, he closed his door, and Steve sighed as he entered his room.

“Come home, Addie,” he said quietly into the air. “Please come home.” While Steve was laying his bed sleeping, Bucky was laying wide awake, staring out the window at the falling snow.

“FRIDAY?” he said quietly.

“Yes, Sgt. Barnes?”

“Turn the radio on. Quietly, so it doesn’t wake Steve.”

“Of course, sir.” The radio station started playing quietly, and of course it was Christmas music, not that Bucky minded. It was the song that got to him. 

_ …if there was a way _

_ I’d hold back this tear _

_ But it’s Christmas day _

_ Please _

_ Please _

_ Please _

_ Please _

_ Baby please come home _

_ Baby please come home _

_ Baby please come home _

Bucky was asleep before the song ended, tears still dripping down his face.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide stopped at a store and bought some new clothes. She  _ had _ to get out of this dress. The shoes were fine; she’d keep those, but the dress had to go. She still had a long way to go in order to get home, and the traffic was terrible on Christmas Eve, even outside the city. She’d ditched the Hydra car a while ago and caught a taxi just outside the city. She’d expected as much trouble tonight, but Manhattan was too far away to walk, especially with the snow falling now like it was. There’d be five inches in no time. “Mind if I turn the radio on, miss?” the driver asked.

“Oh, no. Go ahead,” she answered as she looked out the window at the falling snow.

“Very kind of you, miss.” He turned on the radio to Christmas music, but it couldn’t have been a worse song. Adelaide had to fight the tears that threatened to come.

_ I’ll be home for Christmas _

_ You can plan on me _

_ Please have snow and mistletoe _

_ And presents on the tree _

_ Christmas Eve will find me _

_ Where the love light gleams _

_ I’ll be home for Christmas _

_ If only in my dreams _

_ I’ll be home for Christmas _

_ You can plan on me _

_ Please have snow and mistletoe _

_ And presents on the tree _

_ Christmas Eve will find me _

_ Where the love light gleams _

_ I’ll be home for Christmas _

_ If only in my dreams _

_ If only in my dreams _

“You alright, miss?” the driver asked as the song finished.

“Oh, yes, sir,” she answered, shaking herself a bit. “I just hope I’ll make it home for Christmas.”

“I’m doing the best I can, ma’am.”

“I know. It’s not your fault at all.”

“I can get ya to the train station, that might be faster.”

“Would you? I’d appreciate it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He made a turn into the turn lane, and Adelaide was at the subway in less than ten minutes.

“Here you are,” she said, handing him the money.

“No, ma’am, I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re the nicest rider I’ve had in two weeks. You just get yourself on home, miss. Merry Christmas.” Adelaide almost burst into tears.

“Thank you, sir. Thank you so much. Merry Christmas to you too.” She reached through the window and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

“Run along now, miss. Don’t want to miss the train.” She nodded and hurried down into the subway station, buying a ticket into Manhattan. It’d be a cold trek from the station in Manhattan to the Tower, but she’d willingly make it. The clock on the wall showed it to be five o’clock in the morning, and the train wouldn’t be there for a good hour. She sat down on a bench, hugging her arms around herself for a little bit of warmth and waited.

“I’ll be home for Christmas, Papa,” she said quietly. “Don’t you worry. I’ll be there.”


	28. Chapter 28

Well, one can’t have Christmas in the Avengers Tower without a loud wake-up call. In this instance, it was Nathaniel having FRIDAY play Alvin and the Chipmunks “Christmas Don’t Be Late” loudly throughout the building. 8:00 A.M. found all of the Avengers and the extended family gathered in the living room around the giant tree Tony had brought in. There were presents all around the tree, and everyone shuffled to surround it. Wanda sat down next to Bucky, who was on the couch near the back watching, and patted him on the arm. “I’m sure she’s fine,” she said quietly. “She wouldn’t want you to be like this. Enjoy yourself, for her.” 

“I tried, Wanda,” he said miserably. “I really did. I just can’t.” Wanda sighed and hugged him gently. Steve looked over at that moment and gave them a sad look before Lily got his attention with her present to him. Cooper left the circle and sat down on Bucky’s other side, just quietly giving his support. Presents were opened, and apple cider, eggnog, and cocoa were passed around, and music was playing softly in the background. Amid all the hustle and bustle, no one noticed the doors slide open on the elevator. Cocoa was quietly poured into a mug in the kitchen, and silent feet padded into the living room. Nathaniel called his brother over to look at the present from Tony, and Cooper vacated his seat next to Bucky. Again, silent feet went around the edge of the couch, and the mug was placed on a coaster on the side table, before the couch moved slightly at the added weight on the edge. Bucky felt a body curl up against his side, and he looked down to see a head of long, dark hair. He looked to his left, and Wanda was still sitting there. Lily was over with her mother, and Laura was with her husband across the room. There were no—his head snapped back down to look at the person next to him, and tears sprung into his eyes. “Kotenok?” he whispered, and his daughter looked up at him with shiny grey eyes, smiling up at him with the widest smile he’d ever seen.

“S Rozhdestvom, papa,” she said to him, and they both heard Wanda gasp next to them, but Bucky didn’t particularly care at the moment. He gathered Adelaide up in his arms and held her tightly, almost afraid to let her go. She was more than happy to reciprocate and buried her face in his shoulder. (Merry Christmas, Daddy.)

“Moy milyy angel,” he said happily, his voice quaking with emotion, “you’re home. I missed you so much, vozlyublennaya. I’m so happy you’re home.”

“I missed you too, Papa,” she said. “So much. I can’t even tell you how much I missed you.” Bucky kissed the top of her head and held her tightly. Suddenly, everything was alright. His little girl was back, safe and sound, in his arms. He was never letting her go again. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, moy milyy malen'kiy kotenok. So, so much.” It truly was a merry Christmas. (my sweet little kitten)

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Funnily enough, no one else noticed Adelaide’s presence until after all of the presents had been opened. It was full-blown chaos after that. She got dog-piled by all of the children (literally. She was pinned to the floor by Cooper, who cheered at finally being able to knock her over) and smothered in a thousand hugs by the adults. Sweet little Nathaniel, who was eight years old now, was glued to her side for the rest of the day, showing her his presents and telling her about everything she’d missed while she’d been gone in his adorable way. As it turned out, everyone had been hoping she’d make it by Christmas, and she had several presents to open. By the end of the day, she was exhausted from lack of sleep and all of the excitement. Everyone went off to bed, and she sat on the couch with Steve and Bucky in their apartment. She told them she had one last present for them. “It’s not wrapped or anything,” she said, sitting up with her legs tucked under her. “In fact, it’s not really a physical thing I can give to you. But I think it’ll mean more to you than anything I could possibly buy.” The two men gave her curious look. “You both know I went to Hydra to keep all of you safe, as well as my friends, but I had another reason. One that I didn’t tell you or anyone else.”

“What did you do, Addie?” Steve asked. She grinned, practically wriggling in excitement.

“I took down Hydra, once and for all.” The shocked silence made her almost break down into giggles. “I had help from someone, but I knew them from before, so we can trust them.”

“How?” Bucky asked suddenly.

“Did you know that Hydra has an annual Christmas party?” she asked. Steve’s eyes widened.

“You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was. Once a year, all of the leaders and members of Hydra are in one place, celebrating Christmas. I was sent to kill a suspected double agent who really was a double agent, and he was tasked with taking out Hydra. We sort of helped each other. He took out Hydra, and I pretended to take him out. There should be the smoldering remains of a giant house about one hundred miles outside of New York City if we need any more proof. No one made it out; my friend helped with that.”

“Did you kill anyone?” Bucky asked, and the room went deadly silent.

“The house blew up. I didn’t set the charges, nor did I blow them up. Technically, I did not. Did I have a hand in their demise? Yes. Yes I did. But I’ve done no more damage to them than they have done to me or anyone else in all the time since its creation. My friend did most of the nasty stuff, though. Don’t worry, Daddy.”

“So, Hydra’s gone?” Steve asked. Adelaide nodded.

“Forever. They can’t hurt anyone every again.” She was swept up in a supersoldier sandwich hug unlike any she had received throughout her whole life.

“We’re so proud of you, Addie,” Bucky said.

“Very, very proud,” Steve added. “But, ladybug, can you promise me something?”

“Anything, Uncle Steve.”

“Don’t  _ ever _ do that again. We were worried sick about you.” Adelaide smiled and nodded.

“I promise,” she said. “Merry Christmas, Uncle Steve, Daddy.”

“Merry Christmas, Addie,” they answered. Yep. All was right in the world. She was home safe with her family, loved and warm.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adelaide sat at the café three blocks from the Tower, tapping away on her phone. Two weeks had passed since Christmas, and New Years’ had come and gone, complete with a lavish Tony Stark party that she’d only attended because her uncle wouldn’t let her get out of it. She’d spent the party hiding in a corner with Bruce, T’Challa, and Vision. She’d had a great time talking with them (that was the most mentally-stimulating conversation of her life) but had been glad when the party ended and she was allowed to go hide away in her apartment. She’d stayed up into the early morning watching movies with her dad and Steve before all three of them had retreated to their own bedrooms to sleep. Now, she was on an excursion of her own, trying to find birthday presents for Wanda and Pietro. Their birthday was in a week, and she wanted to find them nice presents. Actually, she was more surprised that leaving the Tower without an escort was not protested more heavily, given recent events. She’d announced that she was going out, and those who heard her gave confirmations before she left. She wouldn’t have minded anyone coming with her, actually. The company would have been appreciated. Right now, she was texting with Rachel about what was going on with her job at the Tower. “Is this seat taken?” a voice asked, jolting her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Vincent standing above her. She shook her head and motioned for him to sit down. “We haven’t talked since the night you left,” he said quietly, not wanting the other people around them to eavesdrop.

“Let’s have this conversation somewhere else, Vincent,” she answered, and the two walked to Central Park to the Burnett Fountain and sat down. There was actually no one there at the moment, so they wouldn’t be interrupted. Neither one said anything for a moment, the Vincent spoke up.

“Addie, I don’t know what the ‘other me’ did to you while I was gone, but I wanted—”

“No,” Adelaide said, interrupting him. “You don’t have to apologize for what he did. It wasn’t your fault. If anyone’s, it was mine. Hydra came for me, and you got caught in the cross-fire. So, I’m sorry, Vincent. I can’t imagine what they did to you.”

“It was bad, I’ll admit, and I’m not going to go into it, but I know he must have done something terrible. For the first week I was there, all of your family gave me dirty looks before correcting themselves. Did he do something to you?” Adelaide sighed.

“He broke my heart, which I thought was you at the time, so I’m better now.” Vincent’s face looked severely pained.

“Addie, I’m sorry,” he said, taking her hand. “I know it wasn’t really me, but let me make it up to you, please? You’re the first person I’ve really, truly cared about in a long time. I don’t want this to come between us.” Adelaide smiled a bit and nodded.

“Okay, Vincent. We can try again.” His face practically lit up like the Fourth of July (or more commonly known to Addie as Uncle Steve’s birthday). She laughed a bit, and before they knew it, two hours had passed while they talked. Adelaide’s phone went off, and she looked down to see a text from her dad.

_ When are you planning on coming home, kotenok? _

_ Sorry, Daddy. I lost track of time. I’ll be home soon. Promise _

_ Okay. Pepper made lunch, so whenever you’re ready… _

_ I’m on my way!! Don’t let Uncle Tony eat all of it! _

_ I won’t. See you soon, myshka _

“I have to go, Vince,” Adelaide said. “Aunt Pepper made lunch, and if I don’t get there soon, Uncle Tony will eat all of it.” Vincent smiled and nodded.

“Okay.” She stood up and started to walk away. “Addie?” he called. She turned around. “Would you—that is, if you want to—do you wanna go to dinner with me sometime?” Bless his darling heart, he was so nervous.

“Be at the Tower on Friday,” she said with a smile. “Seven o’clock sharp. Don’t you dare be late.” He smiled happily and nodded.

“Seven o’clock. Got it.” She beamed at him before walking off towards the Tower. Things were definitely looking up for the rest of the new year.


	29. Chapter 29

“Thanks for the hat, Killian,” Adelaide said with a smile, pulling it on over her hair. “I love it.”

“Sure thing, Addie. Thought you’d like it.” Adelaide looked over to the picnic table where Lilly, Tony, and Bruce were avidly talking about a new machine they were working on. Vincent was playing tether ball with Steve, Bucky, Sam, Natasha, and Pietro nearby, while everyone else was gathered near Clint at the grill, waiting for food. Was there a particular reason for this gathering? No, not really. Everything had been rather quite lately, so they took a day out to the park with Adelaide’s friends. 

Speaking of friends, Adelaide and Vincent had been dating again for two months, and they had been getting along even better than before. He’d actually been kind of distant lately, and Adelaide was a little bit concerned, but she knew if it was really important he’d talk to her. That was the main difference this time around. They talked about literally everything. They were best friends first, after all. Everyone in her family had accepted him back with open arms, even though she’d caught Vincent and Cooper leaving a room, and Vincent was looking just a little bit pale as he left. Cooper had merely given her a smirk and a wink so like his father’s that she’d immediately apologized to Vincent on behalf of her cousin. Whatever it was he’d said, it’d done a number on him for about two days, and then he and Cooper where the best of friends. Cooper had actually moved to Manhattan two weeks ago. He wouldn’t tell Addie why; he just had. She suspected that someone had roped him into something to do with the Avengers or the good part of SHIELD that was rebuilding or something like that, but of course, no one would tell her. Killian had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Lilly out, and they’d been going out for officially a month now. If anything had actually changed between them, Killian was mellower than before, which led Addie and Rachel to theorize that he’d only acted the way he did to get Lilly’s attention. 

Speaking of people named Lily, her cousin had graduated high school and was going to college at Oxford in England. Everyone was very proud of her, because she’d wanted to go there since Adelaide could remember and worked very hard to do so. Nathaniel had just gone into middle school and was doing well, and Adelaide had actually decided (to the surprise of her family) to get a degree, which she’d forgone for the past several years simply because she felt like she didn’t need it. However, she knew that she wouldn’t become an Avenger like the rest of her family was, even if she did have powers. For one thing, she didn’t like fighting, like, at all. She never had, despite what Hydra and the Avengers had taught her her whole life. If she did go on any missions, ever (which she hadn’t outside of her months in Hydra) it’d be only in dire circumstances. For another thing, her family wouldn’t let her, even if she did want to. She didn’t mind. She decided that she’d become a doctor so she could help them when they got hurt on missions. She’d stay at the Tower or go with them on planes to aid injuries (she was looking at her father and Uncle Clint for her reasoning. Those two got hurt more often than any of the other Avengers, which was terrible, because they were the only two with children) after missions. 

Oh, she hadn’t mentioned that, had she? Bucky started going on missions with the Avengers soon after she got back from Hydra. He told Adelaide that it was to make up for all of the bad things he’d done as the Winter Soldier. He knew it wasn’t his fault, but he did want to prove to the rest of the world that he wasn’t that person anymore. Adelaide had sent him off on his first mission with her blessing (because he wasn’t going anywhere without that), and he’d come home with only a few nicks and scrapes for his troubles. Life was going great for Adelaide Barnes, and she was content for the first time in a long, long time.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Vincent, where are you taking me? You know I can barely walk in these things. Especially on cobblestone.”

“Trust me, Addie.”

“I do, or I wouldn’t have put up with you for the past two years. But even I have my limits.”

“Just a little further, I promise.”

“Vincent Barkley, I swear to Thor—”

“Adelaide Barnes, do you want me to pick you up and carry you?”

“Will you tell me where we’re going?”

“No. And if I carry you, you’ll have to close your eyes.”

“Deal. My feet hurt.” Vincent swung her up into his arms and set off. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited. “How much farther?”

“Not too much. You’re particularly annoying tonight. Who have you been spending your time with?”

“No one of importance.”

“So, Tony then?”

“Oh, you better be glad he didn’t hear that. Your bank account would be empty faster than you could apologize.”

“Which is why I told you and not him.”

“Are we there yet?”

“Yes, but keep your eyes closed.” He set her down, and she obeyed. “Okay, take my hand, and you have to trust me.”

“You know I do, Vince. I’m beginning to think you’re apologizing in advance for something you’ve done.”

“No, nothing like that, I promise. Just a surprise—well, I hope it’s a surprise.”

“I promise, I have no idea what the heck it is that you’re doing.”

“Good. Now, I’m going to let go, but you have to keep your eyes shut.”

“Vincent,” she said with a nervous lilt in her voice.

“You said you trust me, Addie. Don’t worry.” She took a deep breath and nodded. “Good. I’ll let you know when you can open your eyes.” There were faint sounds of movement and wind blowing through trees, as well as splashing water, for several minutes until finally, Vincent called out to her. “Okay, Addie. Open your eyes.” She did so, and gasped, her mouth dropping open. Lights hung from the trees around them, and she saw her family there. All of them.

“Vince—”

“I know,” he said, smiling widely at her. “I’m shocked they all got here on time too.”

“Vincent, what is this?”

“You have to promise to let me finish, okay?” She nodded slowly, looking over at her dad, who smiled at her encouragingly.

“Okay. I promise.” Vincent took a deep breath and stepped in front of her, only an arm’s length away.

“Room for an assassin, remember?” he said with a grin. She giggled a bit and nodded. That had been a rule her dad had implemented on their third date when they went to a dance club. His exact words were,

“You two better leave room for a Russian assassin, or I’m going to have to make room.” They joked about that saying ever since whenever they stood in front of each other. Adelaide’s nervously-beating heart calmed a bit at the inside joke.

“Addie, you’ve been my best friend since I met you. We just clicked when you walked into my uncle’s store. You know everything about me, and yet you still talk to me, even with all of my flaws and mistakes, which is more than I could ever ask for. We’ve been through a lot together, you and me, and I’m terrible at long speeches, so I’m going to make this short.” Adelaide gasped as she watched him get down on one knee. Her hands flew to her mouth, and she stifled a squeal. “Adelaide Barnes, with the blessing of your terrifying father and the rest of your family, would you please give me the honor of becoming my wife?” Adelaide looked up to her father, who was beaming at her. This wasn’t a joke. He’d really said yes to Vincent asking for her hand. She looked back to Vincent, who was holding up a gorgeous ring to her, and she nodded quickly.

“Yes! Yes, a thousand times yes!” she exclaimed, beaming down at him. Vincent grinned and slid the ring onto her finger before standing up and hugging her, spinning around several times. When he finally let go, Adelaide looked over at her family, grinning with teary eyes. Her father came over to her and scooped her up into a tight hug. “Thank you, Daddy,” she said into his shoulder. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, moy malen'kiy kotenok. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Daddy.” She looked over to where her uncles were shaking Vincent’s hand, and she smiled happily. “I’m going to get married,” she said quietly. She couldn’t grin any wider. She was going to get married!


	30. Chapter 30

Addie squealed in happiness and hopped up and down several times, clapping her hands together quickly. “Oh, it’s _perfect_ ! Wanda, I love it! Thank you so much!” she squealed. The brunette hugged the woman who had become her older sister in everything but blood tightly, making various excited noises. “[It’s beautiful](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/27/9d/01/279d0144adc4e283ad733dc39bde3783.jpg)!”

“I’m glad you like it,” Wanda replied, smiling widely. “Though, I had some help.” Addie turned and brought in Scott, Pietro, Cooper, and Killian for a group hug.

“Thank you, all of you,” Adelaide said. “I couldn’t have come up with something like this. It’s gorgeous.”

“You’re welcome, Ladie,” Scott said before the four of men hurried over when Pepper called them over to help set up chairs.

“Addie, there you are!” Lily exclaimed, coming to pull her cousin away. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Come on, we have to go!” Adelaide looked over at Wanda, who nodded encouragingly.

“Don’t worry, Addie. I’ll finish everything up here. Between me and Mrs. Stark, we’ll get all of the finishing touches done soon.” Addie grinned and nodded before allowing her cousin to pull her away into the lodge. Mrs. Stark. She’d probably never get used to hearing that. In the year and a half since Vincent had proposed to her (they weren’t in any hurry to get married, much to her father’s joy), Tony had surprised everyone by proposing to Pepper (seriously, not even Bruce knew, and Tony told him _everything_ ) and marrying her within a month (he never was known for his patience). It’d been a surprisingly small wedding, for a Stark. Only Tony’s friends and their families were invited, and it was held on his private island in the Pacific. No press, no nothing. In fact, to this day, Adelaide _still_ doesn’t know where the two went for the following month they were gone (he may have skimped on the ceremony, but the honeymoon was apparently not compromised on), and that was pretty impressive since she had the Black Widow on her side checking every source to find _anything_ to give a clue as to where they went. But, no such luck. However, Addie was happy. Tony had mellowed out a bit since then, and everyone (especially Uncle Steve and Rhodey) was happy about that. Another hand landed on Adelaide’s shoulder and jerked her out of her head. She turned and saw Lilly (the friend) on her other side, smiling happily and looking gorgeous in her bridesmaids’ dress. The two women (because that’s what they all were now, ahh!) led her into the room where Adelaide would be getting ready and shut and locked the door behind them. Natasha, Laura, and Rachel were already there waiting on them, smiling happily.

“You ready for this?” Natasha asked, giving her a look.

“More than anything,” Adelaide answered. The woman pushed her into a chair in front of the vanity and began reaching for the make-up bag. “Wait!” Addie exclaimed, and everyone froze. “Who’s on ‘Daddy Duty?’” They all laughed, continuing on with what they were doing.

“Clint and Steve are keeping an eye on him,” Laura said, smiling at her niece. “Don’t worry. He’s in good hands.”

“See, I’d believe that, but Uncle Steve is the more impulsive one in that friendship,” Adelaide answered, closing her eyes as three pairs of hands began putting make-up on her face. “We might need back-up. I love Uncle Clint, but he’s not going to be able to stop Daddy _or_ Uncle Steve, should one of them decide to kidnap me and not let me get married yet.”

“I’ll find T’Challa and ask him to keep an eye on them,” Natasha said.

“Just text him,” Rachel said. “I saw him with his phone earlier.” While Natasha was doing that, everyone else was putting make-up on Addie and making sure that the dress was ready for her to put on. She wasn’t allowed to move after the brushes began to tickle her face. When what felt like an eternity had passed (but was really only about twenty minutes), she was allowed to move. She blinked open her eyes, but she found that she was facing away from the mirror. Addie started to turn around, but Lily grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stay put.

“No! You have to wait until everything’s done!” She was pulled off of the chair she was on and hurried behind the changing screen in the room (honestly, what was this, the Medieval Ages? Who even used these things anymore?), and Aunt Laura and Auntie Nat helped her into the dress, making sure everything was fastened right and all of the light wrinkles were properly smoothed out. Then, Rachel stepped up behind her and began fixing her hair into a smooth bun on the back of her head. Adelaide had decided to forego the veil, not that it wasn’t a good idea, but she just didn’t want to wear one. Nobody had really fought her on that front. Honestly, Adelaide was very excited. She’d made a few calls and, thanks to old SHIELD connections that Fury, Natasha, and Clint had, she’d found her Aunt Rebecca’s surviving family. She’d never met them until a few months ago, hadn’t even known they’d existed. Her dad had never mentioned having a little sister, but she knew he’d had one from talking with Uncle Steve. She’d kept this one secret from everyone in her family except for Auntie Nat (honestly, the two of them were as thick as thieves when it came to surprises) and Wanda (who would’ve found out anyway from how loud Addie’s thoughts were, apparently). She’d met up with her cousins James and Sarah and their families several months ago and spent most of the day with them while her dad and uncles thought she was out with Natasha and Wanda (which she was, kind of. They were a few blocks away at little park). She, James, and Sarah had clicked instantly, and Adelaide was very upset that she hadn’t met them sooner. Though both of her cousins were well into their sixties, they were happy, active people and a joy to talk to. Their sons were kind, honest men, the kind that Addie saw as being successful businessmen, which they were. James’s son Robert owned a hardware store in uptown Queens, and Sarah’s son William was a lawyer with his own private firm in downtown Manhattan. The two men’s children were just as happy as their parents and grandparents, and Addie had the best of times meeting her third cousins Kelly, Michael (Robert’s sixteen year-old daughter and ten year-old son), Hannah, David, and Ronald, or Ronnie, as he liked to be called, (William’s eleven year-old daughter, eight year-old son, and six-year old son). Unfortunately, her Aunt Rebecca had passed away five years ago, so Addie hadn’t gotten to meet her, but James and Sarah had brought several pictures of her to show, and the told so many stories about their mother and her adventures with her big brother that Adelaide felt as if she knew her. After meeting the siblings a few more times, Adelaide asked the question that she hardly dared to ask. She explained her plan to the pair, and they whole-heartedly agreed. Addie hadn’t answered her dad when he asked who the seats next to him were for when he saw the seating arrangements for the bride’s family, no matter how many times he asked. She merely told him that he’d see and continue on with her planning with Wanda. Oh, she was more excited to see her father’s reaction than she was about her own wedding! Almost, anyway.

“Okay, you’re all set!” Rachel said, patting her shoulder lightly and breaking her out of her thoughts. With her aunts holding the small train of her dress so it wouldn’t get caught on anything, she stepped out behind the screen and onto the raised dais in the room. All of the women squealed happily and clapped.

“You look beautiful, Addie!” both of the Lily’s said. Agreements were made, and Adelaide looked at herself in the mirror. She was happy to say that she recognized herself in the reflection beaming back at her. She didn’t want a lot of make-up or a flashy dress or fancy hair-style. When she got married, she wanted to be herself, and her family had respected her wishes. There was a light knock on the door, and Laura answered it.

“Who is it?” she asked.

“Sarah,” the person answered. Adelaide’s face lit up.

“Let her in, Aunt Laura! Let her in!” she exclaimed excitedly, and the door opened up to reveal her cousin’s smiling face. Addie started to step down to greet her, but Sarah shook her head.

“No, no, Adelaide! Stay where you are! Let me get a look at you!” the woman insisted as Aunt Laura closed the door. She looked Adelaide over, and tears welled up in her eyes. “You look gorgeous, dear. Fits you like a glove.”

“I love it,” Adelaide answered, looking down at it. “It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.” Adelaide held out her hand for Sarah to take, and the woman stepped up to hug her gently, careful not to bump anything out of place. “Thank you for coming, Sarah,” Addie said. “It means a lot to me.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Sarah answered. “James wouldn’t, either.”

“Where is he? Is he here yet? Did everyone go where I told them to?”

“Yes, yes, they’re all here.”

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Laura asked.

“Oh!” Adelaide exclaimed. “Aunt Laura, this is my cousin Sarah Baker. You haven’t met her.”

“How is she your cousin?” Rachel asked.

“She’s my Aunt Rebecca’s daughter.”

“Rebecca?” Lilly asked. Adelaide nodded.

  
“Rebecca Barnes. My dad’s little sister. I had some help finding them from Auntie Nat, and I invited them to the wedding. It only seems right to me. I don’t think Daddy even knew that his sister _had_ kids. So, I wanted him to meet them. And what better excuse than at a wedding, when he won’t know half of the guests anyway? None of you can say anything, though. This is a surprise for my dad. You all have to promise.” Promises were made, and Sarah took her leave. The woman dispersed to change into their own dresses, and Adelaide stood patiently on her little dais while they did so, lost in thought. Once everyone was dressed, hair was tamed once again, and all wrinkles and such were smoothed, they all stood, looking at each other in excitement.

“Are you ready, Addie?” Natasha asked. She nodded and grinned.

“We’ll go see if Wanda needs any more help,” Rachel said, and she, Lilly, Lily, and Laura left the room. Natasha smiled at her before looking at the clock.

“Thirty minutes until showtime, Addie,” the Russian said. “Nervous?”

“Nope!” she answered, beaming back. “I’m excited.” Suddenly, she thought of something. “Auntie Nat, will you hand me my phone?” Her aunt obliged, and she typed out a text message.

_Will you come see me? Bring Sarah. She knows where I am –A_

_Of course, sweetie. Any other requests? –J_

_Just that you smile and be yourself. That’s all I ask._

_Then that’s what you’ll get. Be there soon._ Once that was done, she texted T’Challa.

_I know you’re on Daddy Watch, but would you send my father and Uncle Steve my way? –A_

_Of course. They are on their way. –T_

_Thanks! You’re the best!_

_I know._ Adelaide laughed and put her phone down on the little table next to her.

“Auntie Nat, you mind making yourself scarce after my dad gets here?” Natasha nodded.

“I’ll be back when it’s time.” The redhead left quietly, closing the door behind her. Adelaide stepped down off of the dais and went to stand next to the window, looking out at the nearby lake. This lodge truly was a great find. It was so beautiful here, both inside and out. A knock sounded on the door.

“Who is it?” she called.

“Us, kotenok. You summoned us?” her dad answered.

“Come in, Daddy.” She turned as the door opened, and she grinned as her father’s mouth fell open and tears rimmed his eyes, though he’d deny it later.

“Kotenok, ty vyglyadish' prekrasno,” he breathed, and Adelaide grinned shyly, glancing down as her face heated up. (You look beautiful.)

“Spasibo, Papa,” she answered. “You two don’t look bad yourselves.” They looked handsome in their suits, just like she knew they would.

Steve and Bucky stepped into the room farther and closed the door behind them.

“What did you need, Addie?” Steve asked. “The ceremony won’t start for half an hour.”

“I have a surprise for you,” she answered. Bucky grinned.

“This is supposed to be about you, printsessa, not us.”

“It is for me, in a way. Sit, Papa. You too, Uncle Steve.” She motioned to the chairs in the room.

“You know the manners, ladybug,” Steve answered. “You gotta sit down first.”

“I can’t. If I get wrinkles in this dress, Auntie Nat will kill me. Please. You’re going to want to.”

“Oh God, you’re not pregnant are you, because I swear if that boy—” Bucky growled.

“No! No, Daddy, no. Ugh, no, thank you. No. Just, no. Not for a while yet, I promise. No.” Adelaide shivered at the thought of how _that_ conversation would have gone. They’d _definitely_ need a funeral after the wedding if that was the case, probably before. “No, I just think, knowing you two, that you’re going to want to sit down.” The two men conceded and sat down, looking at her curiously. Bucky looked over the dress she was wearing again, smiling at it before his brow creased a bit. She could practically _see_ what he was thinking. “I’m afraid I haven’t been _entirely_ honest with you two recently,” she started off, liking the thought of scaring them just a _tiny_ bit. She didn’t ask for much in life; she lived for the small pleasures, like giving her dad and favorite uncle (but don’t tell Clint that) mini heart attacks.

“What do you mean?” Steve asked.

“Well, I haven’t been going out with Auntie Nat and Wanda to go shopping for wedding stuff. I’ve been going out with them, but not shopping.”

“What _have_ you been doing, Adelaide?” Bucky asked.

“Meeting with some people.” A knock sounded on the door, and she straightened up with a smile. She walked over to the door and turned her head to hear better. “Who is it?”

“You summoned, milady?” the familiar voice answered, and she grinned, opening the door slightly and letting James and Sarah slip in before she closed the door back. Bucky and Steve stood up, looking at the newcomers.

“Daddy, Uncle Steve, these are the people I’ve been meeting with. Well, them and their families.” She looked at her guests, grinning happily. “This is my dad Bucky Barnes and my uncle, Steve Rogers. But you already knew that.” The two siblings laughed, going along with her little introduction. She looked at her dad and uncle, who were looking at her in confusion. “Daddy,” she said, holding out her hand. He came over and grabbed it gently, furrowing his brows. “Daddy, this is James Barnes and his sister, Sarah Baker.” She watched her father’s eyes grow wide.

“Did you say—?” Steve started to ask before his voice trailed off in disbelief.

“Yes, I did,” she answered. “Daddy.” Her father looked at her, eyes watery. “Daddy, these are the children of Rebecca Anita Barnes. Your family.” He looked from her face to the two people standing next to her and back again.

“Are—” His voice broke.

“Daddy, you have to look at them. Really look at them. Go on. I’m right here.” She squeezed his hand tightly and nodded towards them. Her dad slowly turned to look them over, reaching out his other hand towards Sarah’s face.

“You have her eyes,” he said shakily. James and Sarah both smiled. Her father gasped slightly. “And her smile.” Adelaide felt Steve slip his hand into her free one and grip it tightly. She looked up at him, and there were tears in his eyes. “Are you really Becca’s?” her dad asked. “You’re really my niece and nephew?” The two nodded.

“She was our mother,” James answered. “Named me after you. We grew up hearing stories about you and Steve Rogers from across the street. Named Sarah after Mrs. Rogers.” Bucky let go of Adelaide’s hands, pulling the two into a tight hug. Adelaide hugged Steve’s waist, smiling happily at the sight.

“I—I didn’t—I never—I would’ve—” her father started to say.

“We know you would have,” Sarah said. “If you had known. We know.” The hug lasted for several minutes before Bucky finally let go and turned to Adelaide.

“Come ‘ere,” he said, opening his arms, and she jumped into them, hugging her father tightly. “Thank you,” he gasped. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, Papa.” Steve went to greet the two as Bucky hugged her before the four sat down, letting Addie stand behind her father, her hands on his shoulders.

“Addie came to us about seven months ago,” James explained. “We’d known about her and you for several years, but we weren’t sure if you really remember things or were just a very good actor.”

“Both,” Steve said, and they laughed.

“She sat down and told us everything that had happened, from start to finish,” Sarah continued. “She didn’t hold anything back, and we were more than happy to meet her again when she said she had to leave.”

“She came by several times over the next month, meeting with us and our kids—”

“Kids?” Bucky interrupted. “There’s—”

“Daddy, they have five grandkids, put together,” Adelaide said, and Bucky took a deep breath. She rubbed his shoulders gently, and Bucky looked back at the two.

“She met with us several times, asking questions, listening to stories, looking at pictures. We were more than happy to talk to her,” James said.

“You raised a wonderful daughter, Mr. Barnes,” Sarah said.

“No,” Bucky said, shaking his head. “We’re family. None of that.”

“Do you want the ‘Uncle Buck’ jokes Tony’s going to inevitably make?” Steve asked, and Bucky nodded.

“Who cares what he thinks? It’s family.”

“And I’ll wipe FRIDAY’s hard drive if he does,” Adelaide added. “He knows I will.” The two siblings had tears in their eyes.

“Either way, you have a wonderful daughter,” James said. Adelaide blushed.

“I know,” Bucky said, looking up at her with shining eyes. She smiled then looked to Sarah, nodding slightly. All attention was on her, looking for the meaning behind the nod.

“About two and a half months after meeting her, Addie asked to meet in a park near our homes. The kids brought the children, and we made a day out of it,” Sarah explained. “When Addie got there, she played with the children for a bit and greeted the kids and their wives before coming over and sitting down with us. She asked us if we still had some old things of Mother’s, and we told her we did. She asked what kinds of things, and we told her the usual things: books, pictures, dresses, quilts, things like that. Then, she asked us something so sweet that we couldn’t possible say no and went home to get it for her right away. It was in my closet, since I was the girl. Had been for fifteen years.”

“Took us less than a minute to find it, too,” James added.

“She had the redhead, Natasha?” Adelaide nodded. “Meet us at the house and take it and get it taken care of until it was ready.”

“What?” Steve asked, looking very intrigued.

“Why, haven’t you guessed?” James asked, looking a bit surprised. “I should think it would’ve been obvious.” Bucky stood up very slowly and turned around, looking very carefully at his daughter.

“It’s her dress, isn’t it?” he said quietly. “I thought something looked familiar.” Adelaide smiled and nodded. “I used to look at pictures of it all the time when I was a kid. Thought my ma was the prettiest woman to ever walk the earth. That’s her dress.” He teared up again and took her hands, kissing them gently. “I don’t deserve such a sweet daughter,” he said.

“Of course you do, Uncle Bucky,” Sarah said gently. The name was so new, but to Adelaide, nothing fit him better. “No one could ever deserve her more.” There was a quiet knock on the door, and Natasha’s head poked in.

“Addie, it’s time,” she said. James and Sarah stood up, quietly leaving the room with Steve while Bucky held his daughter’s hands and looked at her lovingly.

“I love you so much, kotenok.”

“I love you too, Daddy.” He stepped around the chair and hugged her gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. They stood there for half a minute before Bucky stepped back, composing himself and offering her his arm.

“Let’s get this over with before I change my mind,” he said. Adelaide giggled and nodded.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nervous jitters weren’t there, shockingly. She knew that it was usually a thing, but Adelaide wasn’t feeling nervous at all. Probably a bad thing, but she couldn’t bring herself to care at the moment. She was still so happy about Bucky meeting his blood family that really nothing was going to make her upset right now. Nathaniel was adorable in his three-piece suit, and Vincent’s little cousin Danielle was the flower-girl. The two of them were absolutely the cutest things. As for anyone else in the wedding committee, they were all paired off. Unfortunately (for them. Adelaide didn’t mind), her uncles couldn’t all be groomsmen or all walk her down the aisle; that was Vincent’s choosing and Bucky’s job. Her bridesmaids were Natasha, Rachel, Lilly, and Lily (maid of honor); Vincent’s groomsmen were Killian (best man right there), his cousin-who-was-more-like-a-brother Roger, Clint (that had surprised everyone, but apparently the two of them got along really well, so there was that), and Cooper (because the two of them apparently had become great friends since Cooper had moved to Manhattan). She stood next to her dad as the women fussed over her dress one last time before taking their places. Once everyone had finally left her alone, she looked up at her dad, smiling. “You look beautiful, kotenok,” he said to her quietly.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she answered, taking his offered arm. She squeezed him quickly before straightening. “And thank you for not killing my fiancé before the wedding.”

“It was hard, myshka, I’m not gonna lie.”

“Well, I appreciate your self-control.” She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek lightly. “You know, I like your clean-shaven look you’ve got goin’ on. It’s a good look. Shorter hair, and I can see why you were so popular with the ladies back in the day.”

“He still is,” Clint said. “The amount of women looking at him earlier was staggering.” Addie giggled while Bucky gave Clint a death-glare.

“Aw, my poor daddy,” she said, smiling up at him.

“Okay everyone!” Natasha’s voice rang out, and all went quiet. “You know what to do, so here we go!” Adelaide grinned. She may have asked for a traditional wedding by all other standards, but the walking down the aisle part was all her inner child coming out. The doors opened, and the [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcJm1pOswfM) that would act as a wedding march started. No one else knew what was going on, but the people who were walking down the aisle. Not even Vincent knew. This was her little surprise for him because she knew how nervous he was about this.

She watched as Lilly and Cooper went first, the two of them walking slow like they were supposed to. Next, Rachel and Roger went next, stepping lightly and dancing slightly. Natasha and Clint went next, hands joined as they skipped and spun down the aisle, smiles a mile wide. Lily and Killian went next, dancing in their typical fashion of shaking hips and grinning like fools. Next was Cooper and Danielle, and Cooper danced with her down the aisle like a gentleman in a perfect waltz, letting Danielle throw flowers every so often. Finally, Bucky and Adelaide went, and she grinned as they started off in a slow walk before Bucky swept her off of her feet and danced down the aisle with her, grinning like a fool. He set her down on the ground in front of the altar and kissed her cheek fondly.

“I love you, baby girl,” he whispered before giving her hand to Vincent with a stern look. Adelaide smiled up at him, and he smiled back at her, his eyes sparkling with joy.

“I’m assuming that was your idea?” he asked. She nodded and stepped up next to him. The minister motioned for everyone to sit down. Once everything was silent, he began.

“Friends and families, we have gathered here to witness the union of these two lovely people in marriage,” he said, “and I was specifically asked to make this short and sweet because neither one of them are long-winded. That, and Miss Adelaide informed me of Mr. Barton’s eagerness to get to the sandwiches.” Laughter rippled across the room, and Adelaide grinned at her uncle, who gave her a good-natured smile. “Therefore, we shall be brief. I have had the privilege of talking with these two fine people, and never have I seen a love so strong and pure. Though we all know that rings do not make the marriage, I was honored to be given the opportunity to officiate this ceremony. Now, I was told that the two of you would have your own vows?” He looked at them, and both nodded. “Vincent, would you go first?” Vincent took a deep breath and looked at Adelaide, who squeezed his hands gently. He opened his mouth, and froze, before huffing a laugh.

“I had a speech, I swear,” he said, and she giggled, “but it just left. So, I’ll do this instead. Addie, you and I have been through a lot. Most people don’t see the amount of stuff we’ve gone through in their entire lives, and we’ve made it out, together. I don’t deserve you, no matter what you say, but I’m glad you’ve given me the chance to work my way up to that. I love you more than life itself, and I promise that I’ll do my best to provide for you, even if we both know that Mr. Stark is gonna do that anyway.” The room laughed again, and Addie smiled again. Adelaide didn’t wait for her prompt.

“Vincent Barkley, there are times that I want to throw you into a wall, you bug me so much.” He grinned. “But I’ve grown up with eight over-protective uncles, so I’d like to think I can deal with anything.” Everyone laughed at that. “You’ve put up with them for all this time, and I think that deserves an award of some kind. I’d marry you simply because you didn’t let my dad scare you off, but you took it a step further and fell in love with me. You have a good heart, and I trust you with my life. I love you more than anything in the entire world, and I promise to do my best to support you in all that you do.”

  
“If I may have the rings?” the minister said, and Nathaniel stepped forward with the rings. The two of them took the [rings](https://www.krikawa.com/pages/images/Ring%20Images%20and%20Spreads/Unique-Wedding-Band-Set.jpg?w=250&watermark=style) and slipped them on each other’s fingers. “Repeat after me. With this ring I thee wed as a promise to stay with you in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, through the good times and the bad, for as long as we both shall live.” Once that was done, Adelaide was almost vibrating with excitement. Vincent noticed and smiled at her, joy lighting up his face. “By the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Vincent hardly waited for the words to leave his mouth before he was kissing her, and Adelaide giggled into the kiss. They separated and looked out at their families, grins a mile wide. Adelaide looked at her dad, who was smiling and clapping along with everyone else, and she beamed at him, unable to stop smiling. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Barkley.” The room erupted into cheers, and flower petals rained down from above them, surprising the pair. That must have been Wanda’s idea. Vincent kissed her again before taking her hand and walking down the aisle with her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The women had really outdone themselves with the food, honestly. Adelaide didn’t know who had made what, but it was all amazing. She liked the cake the best . It tasted amazing! Finally, she was able to get away to go find her dad. He was standing talking with Vincent’s dad and Steve. “Daddy!” she called, and he spun around to gather her up in his arms.

“Oh, printsessa,” he said, holding her tightly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Papa.” She went to hug Steve next, and he kissed the top of her head.

“Congratulations, bug,” he said as she stepped back.

“Thanks, Uncle Steve.”

“You look gorgeous, Addie,” Mr. Barkley said.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling and blushing a bit.

“Addie! There you are!” Lily said, coming over and grabbing her. “Come on!” Adelaide gave an apologizing smile and followed her cousin. She was handed off to Vincent, who grinned at her.

“You know what’s going on?” she asked him, and he nodded.

“Haven’t you guessed it?” he replied, and she looked out at the big open space in front of them.

“Oh,” she said in a small voice as the slow music started .

“Yep, ‘oh’ is right,” he said. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Barkley?” Addie grinned and nodded, taking his hand.

“Why of course, Mr. Barkley.” The two went out into the middle of the room and began rocking back and forth slowly.

“So, are you happy?” he asked quietly.

“Overjoyed,” she answered, smiling up at him.

“Well, your dad hasn’t come and dragged you away yet, so I guess I’m happy too,” Vincent said.

“And he isn’t going to, I promise,” Adelaide answered. “He promised to behave himself. Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

“Well, yes, I suppose, but you won’t have to keep me safe from my own dad.”

“True. I suppose I can let you have it this one time.”

“Well, thank you.” The two broke into laughter, and Vincent leaned down to kiss her gently. “Did you pick this song?” she asked.

“I did. Do you like it?”

“Yeah. I love it, but I love you more.”

“I love you too.” He leaned down to kiss her again as the song ended, and clapping filled the room. Adelaide turned at a tap on her shoulder, and Bucky smiled at her.

“May I have this next dance, milady?” he said, bowing with a smirk.

“Why, I would be honored,” she answered, giggling as she took her dad’s hand. Vincent smiled at her and left the two to themselves as the song started up. Adelaide looked up towards the ceiling and smiled as the familair tune of "Moonlight Serenade" began to play. “I should have known,” she said with a smile.

“Yes, you should have.” Adelaide rested her head on his shoulder as they danced together like they had all those years back in Romania, only this time she was standing on her own two feet. “So, are you going to tell me where you two are off to after this?”

“Uncle Tony has a cabin up in the mountains he’s bought for us. We’re going there.” Bucky nodded and kissed the top of her head. 

“I’m proud of you, kotenok,” he said quietly. “You’ve become a beautiful young woman.”

“Thank you, Daddy. That means a lot.”

“You know I’d do anything for you, kukla, right?”

“Da, Papa, I know.”

“Well, I promise I won’t be too hard on Vincent anymore. I’ll lighten up a bit.” Adelaide was quiet for a minute.

“Not too much, okay, Daddy? It’ll help keep him straight. Not that I think he’ll need it.” Bucky chuckled and nodded.

“Okay, printsessa. I won’t lighten up too much.” The song was nearing its end, and Adelaide kissed her dad’s cheek.

“YA lyublyu tebya, papochka.”

“YA tozhe lyublyu tebya, kotenok.”

~Konets~

**Author's Note:**

> Though I'm sure you've guessed by now, I'm going to go ahead and say it now. SPOILERS!!!!! Though by this point there should be no chance that people haven't seen Winter Soldier, but maybe Civil War. I'm just saying it now. This story covers both, but CAWS is only there for a sec. CACW however, is a different story. Just warning those who are spoiler-conscious.


End file.
